Anything Goes
by Trepidatious.Musings
Summary: Harvey & Donna hold a precious secret. An unfortunate twist of fate will shed light on it, forcing them to assume the responsibilities of their deed. A little bit of angst, heaps of fun and romance. HEA.
1. Angst in your Eyes

_I don't tend to write on TV shows, but after watching two seasons of Suits –in less than a week, I fell for the very special spark between Harvey and Donna. Needless to say, their relationship is so unique and awesome, that my mind couldn't help but to create this particular story I'm sharing with you._

_**This story is complete** (finished it a week ago), so I'll be posting updates very often. I wrote this for my sister's and I enjoyment, that's why it's currently un-beta'ed. (Read at your own risk.)_

_**Warning:** I've always liked to tease readers, so when -and if you think that everything is lost at some point in the story; it might be not. ;)_

* * *

**Chapter I**

Angst in your eyes

Donna's heart sunk when she received the news moments earlier. Her breathing became difficult and a knot grew hard in her throat while she held the phone against her ear.

She couldn't move.

The sounds around the office weren't a bother anymore. Donna could only listen to the sorrowful voice at the other end of the line, telling her the unthinkable.

Holding back the sudden despair that took over her, she ended up the call with a lame _thank you_, to then stare shocked into the space.

She was no longer able to understand the conversation Harvey and Mike were having in Harvey's office.

With shaky hands, she turned the intercom off.

_How to compose herself after receiving such news?_

Slowly, She rose from her seat. Her feet took her straight to Harvey's office, she pushed the cold glass door and walked in, interrupting the discussion Harvey and Mike were exchanging about vital evidences on a case.

"Not now, Donna" Harvey spoke without looking at her, continuing his exchange with Mike; who was walking around the place, bouncing a baseball in his hand.

Stubbornly, Donna went to stand before Harvey's desk. She tried hard to hold back her emotions, looking for a way to speak without revealing her distress in front of Mike.

It was too late though, both men were staring at her with curiosity.

"Is everything okay?" Harvey frowned a bit.

Noticing the look of grief on her face, Harvey's features suddenly changed.

It was as if they had both connected in an instant.

Mike looked from Donna to Harvey absolutely perplexed, "What…"

They both turned to look at him.

"Okay, I got it. I'm leaving," Mike bounced the baseball in his hand one final time before placing it on Harvey's desk. "I'll go check out the documents and will get back to you" Mike walked past Donna, leaving the office fully aware that something serious was happening.

As soon as the boy left the office, Donna spoke.

"I don't know how to say this," She whispered quickly. The knot in her throat became unbearable.

"God, Donna," Harvey was expecting the worst, "Just say it."

The moment felt like a nightmare.

Harvey felt as if they were reliving the time when she told him that his dad had passed away.

"There has been an accident in Boston," Donna tried to find the right words to say it, but it was impossible, "A school bus collided with a train in Massachusetts, there was a derailment…" She paused, tears formed in her eyes. "There were eleven children in the bus; seven are dead. The others are critical."

Harvey stared at Donna, trying hard to sort out the information he had just received. It didn't take him more than a second to figure out how the disturbing situation could affect him. He immediately rose from his seat, facing Donna with horror in his eyes.

He swallowed hard, "Was…"

"They called from the hospital," Donna spoke fast, before her voice could break. "I just…

"Cancel all the appointments for the weekend and reschedule" Harvey interrupted her. "Wait ten minutes, go to your place. I'll pick you up an hour."

xoxo

"Donna's apartment, Ray" Harvey got into the back seat of the car with his mind lost in thought.

Fear and regret enveloped him. His eyes fixed out on the people walking down the street as the car began to move through Manhattan, "Then to LaGuardia. We're flying to Boston."

Ray observed his boss through the rear view mirror. The driver didn't have to ask. It was all over the news, and Ray knew that Boston only meant one thing. "Yes, Harvey"

When the car arrived to Donna's apartment building, she was already outside, waiting on the street. She hadn't changed the dress she wore earlier that day in the office, and was clutching her Marni bag tightly against her body. Her eyes disclosed the anxiety that was biting her from the inside. She didn't wait for Ray to get out of the car to open the door for her, but immediately did it herself and slipped into the back seat, sitting next to Harvey.

Donna's sweet familiar perfume invaded the air, giving Harvey a little comfort.

"LaGuardia, Ray" Donna sighed hard, leaning back in the seat. "As fast as you can go on this thing."

She turned to look at Harvey and their eyes met. Only angst could be seen in them.

* * *

_I'm evil: I really love a little drama to begin with._

_Thanks so much for reading! Any comments or suggestions on any good Harvey & Donna fanfics will be highly appreciated._

_Next chapter will be up in a few hours._


	2. Our Own Way

_Thanks so much for your comments! I promise to answer each one of them as soon as I get back home. I wanted to update yesterday night, but got home too late from work. _

_Anyway, here it is as promised._

* * *

**Chapter II**

Our Own Way

It was the first time Harvey wasn't having a scotch while flying First Class. The flight would take an hour long, maybe less if the weather was kind to them. Donna rested her head against the back of her seat by the window. She hadn't exchanged a word with Harvey since the moment they stepped into the plane.

_What could they say in a moment like that? _

Harvey eyed around First Class. It was packed, which was rare considering it was a weekday morning flight. The choked sobs of a woman and a man, suddenly called both, Harvey and Donna's attention. It came from a couple of seats ahead of them. Two flight attendants were trying to comfort the passengers in those seats.

Out of the blue, an air hostess blocked their view by standing close to them, interrupting the moment. "May I bring you something to drink, sir? Madam?"

Harvey and Donna looked a little startled at the young woman.

"What's going on over there?" Harvey nodded towards the seats from where the sobs were coming.

The hostess leaned forward to whisper. "There was a derailment this morning in Boston; they lost their son in the accident." She said with sadness, "It's a national tragedy, the train hit a school bus; most of the children died."

Harvey and Donna's expressions went blank.

"Let me know if I can bring you anything," The hostess moved onto the next seats to greet other passengers.

Filled with anxiety, Donna began to unconsciously twist the ring on one of her fingers. Noticing it, Harvey immediately took one of her hands, giving it a soft squeeze.

They didn't looked at each other; they didn't have to.

They simply held hands for a moment; it somehow managed to relieve the fear and apprehension a bit.

_Perhaps having a scotch would help as well_. Harvey considered.

The drink would wash away the knot in his throat. Quietly, he pressed the flight attendant call button.

Harvey refused to believe the issue was going to end this way. Maybe all this mess was just a way to punish them for what they did; for not appreciating what they were given. But then, it wasn't that they didn't value it; he simply couldn't fill the role during those days. Neither could Donna. They were young and stupid, and they had something in common; they wanted to reach high in life. They had just quit the District Attorney's office when Harvey knew they would be joining Pearson Hardman together. As Jessica's protégé, this guaranteed the perfect step in what would be a very promising; successful career for both of them.

"A Scotch, please," Harvey told the approaching attendant, as he recalled that day years ago when Donna told him the inconceivable. Or better, the 'conceivable'…

"_You are coming with me." Harvey leaned against the window sill of his old apartment._

_Donna raised an eyebrow, walking across the room towards him. The lights of the city flickered out the window. "I don't know, maybe I should go to Scatton," She smirked, resting her hands on the window sill to look into the night along with him._

"_Oh, come on Donna, we made a deal." Harvey didn't take her seriously. He knew she was teasing him. "You want this as much as I do."_

_Donna gave him a bitter smile. Yes, she wanted it. Moreover, she would follow Harvey to the ends of the Earth, but also, she didn't want to ruin his career. Harvey had a promising future, but not exactly with her. _

_"You should sit," Her features changed, "You should sit because I'm about to throw the Armageddon on you." _

_The concern in her eyes spoke to Harvey more than a thousand words. That's when he realized she wasn't joking._

_He didn't move from his standing place by the window, but, Donna moved closer to him. Her fingers brushed the Rolex around his wrist; one of the tokens he awarded himself with his first salary at the DA's office, Donna loved it. _

_But he would never forget the way she looked at him during those eternal seconds; __Donna was terrified._

"_I'm pregnant," She blurted out. _

It hadn't been the perfect moment, neither the perfect place to say it, but that's how he learned that he was going to be dad.

Harvey's mind snapped back to reality. The air hostess placed a glass of scotch on his tray table.

"Is there something I can bring to your wife?" She looked at Donna.

Donna was staring at the sky out the window, too worried to grasp what the hostess had said.

_His wife? _Harvey smirked. People always assumed they were a couple whenever they went out together. "Just a Perrier," He spoke softly.

But Donna wasn't his wife, neither were they _together_. She was his assistant, his friend; his confidant.

"Another scotch," Donna suddenly interrupted, "Sparkling water is for the weak."

Harvey smiled a little. Donna was his confidant –even though he wasn't very open to her about everything, she knew him extremely well, so well she could easily read him. She was his best friend, someone exceptionally important in his life; someone he couldn't function without professionally... and neither personally.

He took a sip of his drink after the hostess placed a glass of scotch on Donna's table.

"Thanks," Donna took the glass in her hand, observing the amber colored liquid in it.

Harvey finally spoke, "What the hell were those kids…"

"School trip," Donna responded quickly, knowing well what he was going to ask.

Harvey swallowed a mouthful of liquor from his glass. "Since when do boarding schools…"

"They do." Donna took a sip from hers. The drink burnt and it was bitter, just as bitter as the day she and Harvey took the crucial decision. She couldn't help but recall...

"_We can't do this, Donna" Harvey told her as he followed her down the street in the middle of the day, "We can't do it now."_

"_Don't you know that I know?" She turned around to face him, her hand laid protectively on her stomach. She was beginning to show by then, and the stressful situation made her feel helpless and angry. She was angry with herself, at Harvey; at both of them. _

_How stupid they were to be so careless. __It had been just one g*damned night that they allowed themselves to love each other. Just one night that they went from a playful banter at her door, to end up making love; tangled in the sheets of her bed._

_And while they both thought it was the best night of their lives, it brought an extremely challenging consequence._

_They were young, standing at the beginning of the path to a very promising future and they simply couldn't cast-off the opportunity life was putting before them. Pearson Hardman was Harvey's future and Donna knew she had to follow him; going from secretary at the District Attorney's Office, to executive assistant in one of the most prestigious law firms in Manhattan was a meaningful move. _

_Even more if it was with Harvey._

"_I'm keeping it, Harvey," She told him. "I don't know how…"_

_Harvey nodded, moving closer to her, "Of course we are." Discreetly, he reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and __pulled out an envelope_. 

_Donna looked perplexed at it, "What is this?"_

"_I told my father," Harvey said sincerely._

"_You did what?" She was in shock._

"_He adores you, Donna," Harvey shrugged, "And he adores me, of course."_

_Donna rolled her eyes. "Harvey…"_

"_This is for the baby," Harvey looked at her with a glimpse of hope in his eyes, "We're keeping it, but we'll do it our own way. No one will have to know..."_

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position."

The flight attendant's announcement brought Donna's attention back to reality, "Are we…" She looked confused around her.

"Yes," This time it was Harvey the one who answered before she could finish the question. "We're here."

They had arrived to Boston.

* * *

_You're __going to have to grab _a tissue box for the next update or maybe not... ;)

_Thanks so much for reading!_


	3. Ten Little Fingers, Ten Tiny Toes

_Thanks so much for your comments! _

_**Important: **this is a good moment to remind you that I like to tease readers. A lot. So if you feel like you want to stop reading at some point of the chapter, I advice you not to. ;)_

_Anyway, here's a new update._

* * *

**Chapter III**

Ten Little Fingers, Ten Tiny Toes

Donna still remembered how they set up Harvey's old bedroom –in the house of his father, for her to give birth. Hospitals were out of question; they didn't want to take the risk of coming across someone they knew –especially someone from Pearson Hardman.

No one besides their parents could learn that she was pregnant.

Harvey's dad insisted that if they wanted to keep on with the 'ridiculous plan', his grandson and Harvey's heir had to be born in a suitable place, and they had to make sure the kid would grow up in an good environment, with the best opportunities they could give him. It was something Harvey and Donna agreed with. Still, they also acknowledged they couldn't keep the child living in the city with them. It was too risky.

Even under the complicated circumstances, Donna couldn't help but enjoy the tiny things that made her pregnancy special, like the look on Harvey's face the first time he finally dared to put his hand on her stomach to feel the baby. The little kicks were strong.

"_It's a boy," Donna told him. "I know."_

_Harvey looked at her with pride in his eyes. The man beamed._

_She recalled how he returned that day with a DeMarini, stating that the nursery had to be baseball themed._

Donna smiled softly at the memory. Harvey was so proud. During the next three years, their baby would live in Gordon Specter's house as planned; under the care of a professional nanny that Donna would supervise. After this period of time, they would have to send their kid to a boarding school.

They had no better option.

Bulky coats, loose dresses, and vacations during the last trimester helped Donna to conceal her pregnancy from people at the firm. Neither Harvey, nor Donna wanted to put in jeopardy their reputations, but more than anything, Donna didn't want to screw up Harvey's name just when he was about to go up in his career.

No one could find out they were having a baby.

By the end of her pregnancy, everything had been carefully planned to avoid any disclosure. They would be able to continue with their careers without interruption, as if nothing had happened, and no one they worked with would be able to tell what happened.

_Donna breathed through a contraction. The intense pain traveled from her back to her abdomen in less than a second, rendering her shattered on the bed. _

"_I'm calling him again," She stretched her arm to grab her phone from the night table. _

"_You've already called him more than ten times," The midwife propped up__pillows behind Donna's back so she could rest against the headboard. "Breathe, Donna."_

"_I'm breathing. If I weren't; I'd be dead." Exhaustion, frustration and pain were overwhelming her; frustration more than anything else. Why was Harvey taking so long? For an instant she thought that maybe he had chickened out... Nah, Harvey was a lot of things, except a chicken. _

_She tried to convince herself that he was probably stuck in a work meeting._

_He knew she was in labor; she had texted him early that day. But Harvey never responded, and it was almost midnight. _

_Her thoughts were interrupted by a new wave of pain that came on top of the previous one. A strong contraction washed over her and Donna couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut, breathing hard and quickly._

_The excruciating pain felt like it would last an eternity._

_All she could think was that she was going to stab Harvey like a psycho._

_No matter what his excuse would be; she was going to kill the man, and feed him to the sharks._

_Unexpectedly, Donna felt a hand take hers. _

_She didn't have to open her eyes to know who it was._

_It was Harvey. _

_He had finally arrived._

_His presence gave her so much relieve._

"_I know you feel like you want to hurt me really bad," He sat by her side, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "But in my defense, I was discussing the terms of our future with Jessica Pearson." _

_Donna curled herself against his body, quietly fighting the pain. She felt his chin rest on the top of her head. Suddenly, Donna wished the circumstances were different, but more than anything; she wished she hadn't fallen for him._

"_It's time," The midwife whispered. _

Donna tried to shake off the memory.

The chauffer that picked them up from the airport and was driving them to the hospital was sympathetic to Harvey and Donna; too much for their liking. The guy surely knew they were relatives of one of the victims, since he turned off the news radio and was constantly asking if they were alright.

It was distressing not to know what they would learn when they arrived.

Harvey stared out the window of the car, watching the trees by the road pass by. His semblance showed so much regret. He decided to put the life of their kid behind his professional interests. It was unforgivable, even when he provided for everything.

"_Come on, Donna" He whispered in her ear. "You can do this."_

_Donna's body tensed in his arms one more time as she was hit by another contraction._

"_You're doing great, Donna." The midwife encouraged her; "One more push and it'll be over."_

_An involuntary moan of pain escaped Donna's lips._

_Harvey didn't know if opting __out _hospitals for the birth was the best thing they did at that point. Donna was the strongest girl he had ever met, yet she was lying completely vulnerable in his arms. It was true that it had been a one night stand, but he cared about Donna more than any woman in the world. 

"_Just one more time," He whispered into her ear, "You're so close."_

_Donna took a deep breath and pushed._

Harvey remembered that moment so well, as if it were yesterday. The soft whimpers of their newborn baby filled the room that night. He clearly recalled how the midwife gently swathed that perfect, little human being in a warm blanket.

"_You have a little girl," The woman smiled with tenderness, placing the baby in Donna's arms. _

_It was a girl._

_Harvey and Donna were stunned. _

_They were so sure it would be a baby boy that they didn't even ask during the ultrasounds._

_Harvey let out a choked laugh admiring his baby daughter. How wrong they were…_

_He was in awe. _

_Their baby girl was the most beautiful little one he had ever laid eyes on. Her delicate wisps of hair were of a stunning red color –definitely Donna's hair, and she had the most perfect button nose and tiny pink fingers… she was a delight._

"She's so perfect," Donna spoke softly, cuddling the little baby against her chest.

_The little one stirred under the blanket. _

"_Of course she is," Harvey's eyes brimmed with emotion. "She's ours." _

_Donna laughed quietly, getting the meaning of his words, and he couldn't help but leave a kiss on her temple._

Ever since then, Harvey swore by himself that their little girl would always have everything she needed.

He failed though; he failed to protect her.

An exasperated sigh brought him back to the present; Donna was getting impatient.

He sighed as well.

"Did you get the last portfolio?" Harvey looked at her expectantly.

Donna met his gaze, "Got it the day Jessica fired me." A bitter smile crossed her lips.

Harvey looked away. He wasn't exactly proud of that day either, "That explains why I never saw it."

Every two months, the boarding school would send him and Donna confidential information regarding the little girl. The portfolio contained documents with grades, achievements, discipline reports, health accounts and portrait pictures. The information was detailed enough for them to be certain their kid was doing fine.

"She had been asking around why she couldn't visit us," Donna blurted out, staring out the window. "They told her that we were busy people." She suddenly turned to look at Harvey "What kind of people have we become?"

Harvey stared at Donna with no answer.

"We have arrived, Sir." The chauffer drove into the hospital area.

The press and media were gathered outside the doors, reporting about the victims of accident. The view only managed to stress Harvey and Donna even more. They got out of the car at once, and walked side by side into the hospital.

Their hearts were beating frantically with each step as they approached the admissions desk.

Donna could feel her face grow warm with apprehension. She was anxious, and so was Harvey. She knew it wasn't one of those moments where he was able to keep his cool.

"My daughter," he tried to find the words to ask the nurse at the front desk about their kid. "She was in the accident. The hospital called us."

The nurse gave him a soft nod. The woman looked overwhelmed. Harvey guessed that it was due to the appalling events of the day.

Everyone in the place appeared to be overwhelmed.

Donna refused to look around her, but from the corner of her eyes, she could tell they were surrounded by disconsolate parents. Parents that looked as guilty as they were about leaving their children in someone else's care.

"What's her name?" The nurse began to take a look down a list of names on her computer screen.

"Amanda," Donna said softly. Her voice sounded frail and weak.

"Amanda Specter." Harvey completed the name.

The nurse looked down the list until her eyes found the name. She looked at Harvey and Donna with distress in her eyes, "A doctor will be with you in a moment."

"Is she alright?" Harvey inquired a little impatient.

"Please, take a sit." The nurse disregarded the question, "A doctor will speak with you."

The woman left her seat at the front desk to look for the doctor in person.

Suddenly, Donna grabbed Harvey's arm, clinging to him. Her eyes were filled with despair. "Something's wrong, Harvey."

He stared at her, shaking his head; silently refuting her words.

"Nothing's wrong, okay?" He cupped her face in a hand. "She just went to get the Doctor, and he'll speak with us."

But Harvey's expression betrayed his words. His gut was telling him that something was wrong too.

"Mr. and Mrs. Specter," A doctor approached them. He was about their age.

Harvey and Donna overlooked the _Mr. and Mrs._ label. They only wanted to know about their daughter.

"I'm Doctor Wade," he introduced himself. "Amanda arrived with a massive head trauma and internal bleeding," the man paused. "We did everything we could…"

Harvey's chest became tighter and tighter at those words, and Donna just clung to his arm. Pain and grief built up inside her.

"She died half an hour ago," the doctor continued speaking. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

The Doctor's words stabbed them right in the heart.

For the first time in their lives, Harvey and Donna were speechless. She shook her head in denial, refusing to believe it, even though tears were already running down her face. It couldn't be happening. Not to them. She wanted to beg the g**damn doctor to tell her it wasn't true.

"I'm so sorry." The doctor stepped away, leaving them in a state of complete anguish and misery.

Harvey just stood there, wordless. His eyes rimmed with tears as Donna tried hard not to breakdown, but it was impossible. She simply couldn't keep it all inside.

In that instant, she felt Harvey's arms enveloping her. She buried herself in his embrace, and he hid his face in her hair, seeking comfort.

But there was none.

They had been living the good life all those years as part of their plan, and they deprived their little girl from the only thing she needed: them. Harvey and Donna hadn't visited her in almost two years due to the amount of work and clients they had to deal with. Hardman's return and the issue with Coastal Motors complicated it all even more.

But their professional success wasn't worth a damn in that moment.

They didn't know how long they stood in the middle of the hallway mourning the loss of their little girl, but it felt like an eternity.

"We want to see her," Harvey approached the nurse at the counter. His voice was raspy and his brown eyes were raw from grieving. She gave Harvey and Donna a kind stare, before asking them to follow her.

Unconsciously, Harvey held Donna's hand as if their lives depended on that connection. They followed the nurse down the corridor, and even though rays of sun filtered through the large windows, everything felt cold and miserable.

Harvey and Donna were led to a room, and as soon as they stepped in, they saw the lifeless body of a little girl in a hospital gown, lying on a gurney.

The image was appalling.

"I'm so sorry," The nurse said, with sadness in her voice.

"Wait a second," Donna approached the gurney followed closely by Harvey. She looked at the child for a few seconds before turning to look perplexed at him. Harvey observed the little girl as well. Even though there was a tag tied around the kid's wrist with the name _Amanda Specter_ written on it, the girl wasn't Amanda.

"This isn't our daughter," Harvey faced the nurse.

They hadn't seen their kid in a couple of years, but Harvey and Donna knew exactly how she looked. Their little girl had the most gorgeous, bright red hair –just like Donna, dazzling brown eyes and two tiny moles above the eyebrow she had inherited from her dad.

The child lying on the gurney was far from being their daughter.

Soon, hell broke loose.

None of the victims; neither the ones in ICU were Amanda. She was nowhere to be found.

xox

"I want to know where my daughter is!" Harvey demanded the hospital director, who ended up facing the disconcerting issue.

Donna stood by Harvey's side, the idea of their daughter still lying under the remains of the accident was beginning to haunt her.

"Sir you need to calm down," The doctor who informed them of Amanda's death, intervened "We've contacted the school to confirm if she got on the bus."

In an intense rush of anger and irritation, Harvey grabbed the doctor by the shirt, and pushed him roughly against a wall, "You told me my daughter was dead and you want me to _calm down_?! I'm gonna sue your asses to hell if you don't find where she is!"

Donna lifted an eyebrow, assenting with certainty, "Oh, trust me, he will."

* * *

_Where is their kid?_

_Comments, and complains are welcome. __I promise next update on saturday/sunday. Thanks for reading!_

_Happy 4th of July!_


	4. The Specter of the 50th Floor

_I'm sorry I'm updating this late, but work got in the way, and while the fanfic is complete, I still have to divide it in 'chapters' and attempt to correct them before posting._

_Not sure how I feel about this update, I'll leave the final word to you._

_Anyway, here it is. Two updates in one. Hope you'll enjoy..._

* * *

**Chapter IV**

The Specter of the 50th Floor

A little girl with stunning red hair, and dazzling brown eyes stepped out of a subway station in the heart of Manhattan. She was no older than eight years old, but her thoughtful expression and graceful manners made her look a little bit older. Delicately, she folded up a map and stuck it in the pocket of her coat before taking a few hesitant steps on the crowded street.

According to the map, Times Square was only a couple of blocks away, and it was the point of reference she needed to find the place where her parents worked.

Amanda looked up at the dark pink colored sky with a smirk of pride on her face.

_She did it. _

Her steps became more confident.

She had travelled almost four hours from Boston to New York.

Amanda had been planning it for months, maybe more. She couldn't understand why she was the only girl in school who wasn't allowed to visit her parents, so she took matters into her own hands. Sneaking out of school was easy; the school trip helped her to get away with it. The difficult part was stealing her files from the archive of the school in order to get the information she needed to visit mom and dad.

She only knew they lived in New York City, and ever since she was old enough to think about it, she imagined their home was a beautiful place; just like the ones shown in the movies. She loved to picture them living in those stylish homes, spending the holidays together, and wondered how fun it would be to live with them.

It had been so long since the last time Amanda saw her parents, and she missed them so much.

She missed her dad's merciless tickles, her mom's sweet cuddles; but more than anything, Amanda missed how safe she felt whenever they were with her.

She knew how much they loved her; they lavished in awesome presents, generous allowances, and sometimes –though rarely, they called. But Amanda needed to see them to tell them that she loved them too.

The little girl stopped walking at a corner, waiting for the walk signal to change so she could cross the street.

The idea of visiting mom and dad was thrilling. Amanda was eager to see where they lived; if mom poured dad's coffee in the mornings, if he got her flowers every week, or if they snuggled up together reading a book.

She smiled at the thought.

Amanda was also determined to ask them for a baby brother or sister, that way she wouldn't be alone in school anymore.

She crossed the street along with a crowd, quickening her pace; it was getting late. She knew her parents were busy people, so the best place to find them was at work. Anyway, she didn't find their home address among the documents she took from the school archive.

_Pearson Hardman. _She repeated in her mind.

Amanda was ecstatic the minute she discovered that mom and dad worked in the same place; it made things easier for her.

As she walked down the street, she noticed a cop resting against the side of his car. Quickly, her eyes looked for a random woman to walk along with. That's how she had been getting away with traveling alone. Amanda knew that a child wandering unaccompanied would raise suspicions.

For that reason, from time to time, she would pretend to be with an adult.

Subtly, as she walked past the policeman, Amanda got closer to an elegant brunette. During those endless seconds, the little girl felt particularly nervous. The woman's gaze landed on her, and Amanda simply looked back at her with those beautiful eyes that would melt countless hearts; flashing a smile daddy taught her to practice.

The woman smiled back, but unlike the rest of the adults she had walked with, she remained staring at Amanda with interest.

"Miss Dana! Miss Dana Scott!" A chauffer opened the door to a limo parked a few steps away, inviting the woman to come in. "I'm sorry I had to park this far…"

Amanda took advantage of the situation to quicken her pace, and flee the scene. The brunette's scrutiny made her uneasy.

The little girl gave a sigh of relieve once she walked around the corner.

Hopefully, she wouldn't have to come upon something else.

xox

Mike danced his way into Rachel's office, strumming an invisible guitar and humming the notes of an unintelligible song.

He was undeniably happy.

And even when Rachel's eyes were glued on the screen of her computer and her fingers were typing nonstop, she caught a glimpse of Mike from the corner of her eyes.

"I can't!" She laughed softly. "I'm working!"

"Come on!" Mike rested his palms on her desk. "Jessica is gone, Donna is gone, even Harvey is gone. It's Friday!" He leaned forward to whisper. "We could go to your place or my place, order Thai or maybe Sushi, play Twister…"

He finally managed to have Rachel's full attention.

"Twister?" Rachel stopped typing. An impish smile grew on her face, "It's that how you're calling it now?"

Mike gave her a suggestive look, "Alluring, isn't it?"

Rachel laughed, "I'd love to Mike, but I can't. I'm buried in paperwork."

"I can help…" He walked around her desk, planning to seduce her into a fabulous night alone with him.

Rachel giggled when Mike moved closer to nuzzle her neck. "I'm the paralegal; I'm supposed to be the one helping you."

"You can help me later tonight…" He whispered against her skin.

Not being able to resist him anymore, Rachel grabbed his tie, and pulled him close to capture his lips in a searing kiss. "You're in a cheerful mood today, Mr. Ross."

Mike breathed in her amazing perfume, "…just looking forward to spend the weekend with Miss Zane."

Rachel lifted an eyebrow, letting his tie go. "Harvey dumped you, huh?" She turned around to carry on with her work.

"… and Donna," Mike picked up a bulky file from Rachel's desk, and flipped through the pages. "They were up to something."

"I know," Rachel paused for a moment. "Donna dropped by and asked me to archive these." She patted a stack of files piled up on the desk.

Mike cringed. "If Donna asked for help, then something was really wrong,"

Rachel turned around to look at him, "Whatever their problem was, I'm sure it must be solved by now." She gave Mike a suggestive smile. "So, are we all… alone?"

"Actually," Mike dropped the file on the desk. "Louis is still in his office…"

"Oh," Rachel pouted disappointed. "Then I think I'm going to take your help so we can get out of here fast."

Mike snapped his fingers. "That's what I was saying!"

xox

Amanda stood by the hot dog cart across the street from the building where her parents worked, for what it felt like an eternity.

As soon as she arrived to the imposing building, the little girl realized she had done wrong.

She was tired, hungry and scared.

Everything suddenly felt incredibly overwhelming; the building alone was intimidating. She never imagined her parents worked in a place like that.

That's when Amanda recognized that maybe things wouldn't be the way she pictured them.

_What if they didn't want to see her? What if the reason they sent her away was because they didn't want to be with her? What if they got angry? What if the school decided to expel her for this?_

Everyone was going to be disappointed in her.

She brushed a tear away from her face.

But there was no way to back out; she had to do it. She couldn't return to Boston.

Gathering courage in her little self, Amanda's eyes began to look for someone she could walk into the building with. She had to get past security without any hassle.

xox

Two hours later, half-filled cartons of Thai food take-out were scattered across Rachel's desk. Mike and Rachel were squeezed together in her chair; chatting the night away, and enjoying each other's company.

The best part; work was finally done.

"It's so quiet and calm when no one is here," Mike broke the silence, grabbing a take-out box. "Almost creepy."

"It's creepy," Rachel spoke softly, dipping her chopsticks in the carton Mike held. "Have you ever heard about the ghost of the 50th floor?" She took a bite of food, "The Weeping Lady?"

Mike chuckled. _To think they were on the 50th floor..._

"I wouldn't laugh, it might irritate her." Rachel ate with a serious expression on her face.

"Oh, come on!" Mike let out a snuffle. "You don't believe in that stuff, do you?"

"Well," Rachel swallowed hard. "Sometimes she can be heard dragging her body down the halls of the building; weeping."

Even when Mike still had a smile on his face, Rachel couldn't help but notice how his eyes were frozen wide.

She broke out in laugher.

"Shut up!" Mike laughed with her.

"You're so easy to tease!" Rachel took another bite of her food.

They remained silent for a second.

Louis' voice could be heard echoing down the hall. He was talking to his Dictaphone.

"Is that the weeping lady?" Mike nodded towards the glass wall.

Rachel chuckled, giving him a playful smack on the chest. "Okay, time to go!"

She and Mike left the comfort of their seat, and were about to arrange the things on the desk; when a sob reached their ears.

They exchanged looks.

It sounded like someone crying.

"Did you hear that?" Rachel whispered.

Mike gave her a shy nod. The silly story of the weeping lady didn't feel that ridiculous anymore.

Neither Mike, nor Rachel moved from their standing spots, but looked across the room through the glass wall of her office.

Someone was crying, and it wasn't Louis.

Slowly, they went out to the hall. To their surprise, Louis was standing like a statue by the lobby. His hand was wrapped around his Dictaphone, and he was pale from fear.

"Did you hear that?" He whispered alarmed.

"I bet there's someone else in the firm." Mike approached him, followed closely by Rachel.

"There's no one else here, except us." Louis looked warily around the place. "It must be the weeping lady."

Mike rolled his eyes, "You've got to be kidding me. Who told you that story?"

"Donna!" Louis and Rachel replied at unison.

A quiet sob reached their ears again. This time, the three of them turned their heads in one direction: Harvey's office.

Rachel frowned. "It doesn't sound like a _lady_…"

Under the dim lights, she began to walk the hall towards Harvey's lair. The heels of her shoes clicked softly against the polished floor.

Mike and Louis followed her.

"I wouldn't get too close," Louis swallowed hard. "Ghost and specters tend to suck the energy from…"

The sobs quieted down just as they stood outside Harvey's office.

"This is eerie," Louis was beginning to feel a little anxious. "We better call the pol..."

Mike placed his finger across his lips, before gesturing towards Donna's cubicle. He made a signal to Rachel while Louis observed them puzzled.

Quietly, Mike walked round Donna's desk.

His expression filled with amazement when he saw a little someone hiding under it. Rachel followed him; only that she managed to get over her surprise, and crouched down to meet the little intruder.

Louis approached them with curiosity. "What is it?"

Curled under Donna's desk was Amanda. She appeared exhausted and frightened.

Mike and Rachel immediately noticed the little girl's lively red hair. It resembled Donna's so much, but none of them said a word about it.

"Hey," Rachel smiled, extending her hand to the kid. "It's okay; we're not going to hurt you."

Amanda blinked away the tears in her eyes, and timidly took Rachel's hand to get out from under the desk.

"Donna?" Louis blurted out the first thing that came to his mind when he saw Amanda.

Mike's eyes were glued on the kid; she looked incredibly familiar… "This isn't Donna."

"Of course I know it's not Donna, but…" Louis pointed at the little girl. Her looks definitely brought Donna to mind.

"Do you know her?" Amanda suddenly inquired. "Do you know Donna?" Her voice cracked.

Mike searched his pockets for a handkerchief.

"Yes," Rachel frowned, interest. "But she isn't here right now. What if we call your mom and…"

"She is my mom," Amanda took the hankie Mike offered her. "Donna is my mom."

Suddenly, none of the adults in the room moved.

They didn't even blink.

Mike, Rachel and Louis stared at the kid completely baffled.

After a brief moment of stupor, Mike tried to find the right words to ask. "You're Donna…Paulsen's kid?"

Amanda assented, looking around her hopelessly, "I thought I would find her here but…"

Louis' jaw dropped to the ground.

He needed a drink.

A double.

"It's okay," Rachel tried to handle the situation, even when she was in shock. Her best friend never mentioned having a kid. It was unbelievable. She placed an arm around Amanda's shoulders, trying to comfort her. "Don't be sad; we'll call her and she'll come to see you, right Mike?"

Mike gave her an awkward nod. _What could he say?_

"I'm Rachel, what's your name?" Rachel tried to act natural, but on the inside, Mike knew she was just as dumbfounded as he was. They didn't know Donna had a kid. She never mentioned it; she wasn't even the motherly type.

"Amanda," She smiled, thinking that Mike and Rachel were really nice. The fact that they knew her parents cheered her up. "My dad works here too." She added confident.

Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Mike let out a choked laugh. "Your dad works here too?" Unconsciously, his fingers loosened the knot of his tie. Somehow, Mike had the feeling that he knew who her _dad_ was.

"I think he works there," Amanda innocently pointed towards Harvey's office. "His name is on the glass."

The three adults turned around to look at the crystal clear wall. Harvey's name seemed to have a special glow that night.

"That's it," Louis looked around him extremely distrustful and paranoid. "We're being Punk'd. That would explain it all."

Mike tried hard to recover from the blow. "Harvey is your dad…" He didn't question it, in fact; he could see a little of Harvey in Amanda's expressions, and especially in her eyes.

Amanda pulled a bunch of folded papers from the pocket of her coat, and after going through them, she handed one to Mike. It was a certified copy of her birth certificate, a paper she got from the school archive.

Rachel got closer to Mike in order to give the document a better look.

It was the irrefutable proof that the girl was indeed Harvey and Donna's daughter.

"It's unbelievable…" Rachel mouthed.

"What's that?" Louis finally articulated a word, though it sounded more like flinch. He snatched the paper to read it.

Noticing that Amanda was wearing a school uniform under the coat, Rachel began to put two and two together. "You live in a boarding school, right?" She asserted.

Amanda nodded, nervously entwining the fingers of her hands. _She was going to be in so much trouble…_

"Okay," Mike blew out a breath, rubbing a hand over his face. "There's only one way to solve this..." He pulled out his mobile and pressed Harvey's speed dial. It was so difficult to think Harvey as a dad.

Louis dropped himself down into Donna's chair. He looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. _Harvey and Donna had a kid..._

"Are you hungry?" Rachel took Amanda's hand, and walked her into Harvey's office. "Do you like pizza?"

Amanda flashed Rachel a smile. _She loved pizza._

"He's not answering," Mike followed them.

Louis remained sitting at Donna's desk; staring blankly into the space. _After all these years, how could he not know…?_

"Try Donna's number," Rachel picked up the phone on Harvey's desk to order a pizza. "It looks like it's going to be a long night." She winked at Amanda.

"Harvey?" Mike stared at Rachel relieved. The call finally went through. "No, wait! Don't hang up! Listen, it's important," He stared at the little girl of pretty red hair standing by Rachel's side. "I've got a little…someone here that belongs to you."

* * *

_I want to thank you for your comments and support. Thanks for taking your time to read and/or comment!_

_I'll try to have next update ready after Tuesday's premiere of Suits. (They're back! Yay!)_

_Have a great weekend! _

_And always remember WWHD -what would Harvey do? ;)_


	5. Our Home

_Sorry for the delay._

_But better late than never, right? :)_

_Hope you like it_

* * *

**Chapter V**

Our Home

Amanda's eyes studied her dad's office with fondness. The wall to wall shelf stocked with vinyl records, the autographed basketballs on the window sill, the turntable perfectly set under a funny painting...

Everything was flawless.

She noticed that his desk was made of glass, just like the coffee table, and the walls of the office.

Amanda smiled to herself.

_Daddy certainly loved glass._

Quietly, she approached the impressive shelf; stunned by the number of records in it.

"Your dad is a hoarder." Mike teased, standing by her side.

The little girl smiled, running her hand over a few albums with affection. If her dad loved them; she loved them too.

Mike and Rachel exchanged looks of warmth.

Amanda looked so much like her parents, but was incredibly sweet; a quality Harvey and Donna didn't have the tendency to display.

"Was he angry?" She looked worried at Mike .

"Actually, he was in shock," Mike explained. "They were worried about you."

"Your mom and dad are going to be so happy to see you." Rachel placed a pizza box on the coffee table, and settled down onto the black leather couch.

Amanda left her spot by the shelf to sit next to Rachel. "What if they get crossed?"

"Well, in that case…" Mike narrowed his eyes, thinking. "We'll run to hide under your mom's desk." He winked at her.

A light blush grew on the little girl's face. "I didn't know it was her desk…" She smiled, staring across the room at her mom's cubicle. It had been awesome to learn from Rachel and Mike, that her mom and dad not only worked in the same place, but they worked together too.

"Do they have fun?" Amanda grabbed a slice of pizza from the box on the coffee table. "Are they happy together?"

Mike and Rachel exchanged looks.

"What do you mean?" Rachel frowned. "Happy as in…"

"Do they love each other?" Amanda eagerly awaited for the answer.

"Oh, they are very happy," Mike blurted out. He knew there was only one way to answer the questions; with the truth. "They love each other very much." He said under Rachel's widened eyes.

"Mike…" She gave her a warning glance, that he responded with a look of reassurance.

Amanda beamed with happiness, "And…are you happy together?" She smirked.

In that second, Mike and Rachel swore they could see Harvey's signature smile on Amanda's face. There was no doubt that she was Harvey's little girl.

Rachel was stunned, "How do you know that we're _together_?"

Amanda made herself comfortable on the couch, taking a bite of her pizza. "Because I know everything..."

xoxo

Harvey and Donna rested quietly against the back wall of the elevator.

Exhausted, she tilted her head back, pressing it against it.

It had been a nerve-wracking day.

They went from believing their daughter was dead, to find out that she had run away from school to see them.

Their most precious secret had been uncovered.

But it didn't matter anymore; their little girl was safe and sound, waiting for them on the 50th floor of the building.

It was crazy and wonderful at the same time.

They tried so hard to keep Amanda from their world for so long, and suddenly, things gave a 360 degree turn.

It had to be an irony of life.

"She must be disappointed in us," Harvey began to feel the weight of his conscience. "I'm used to people disliking me; everyone except her."

Donna took a deep breath, trying to get rid of the stress. She didn't want to think about what was going to happen when Amanda saw them.

They left her alone for too long. It was inexcusable.

"Everyone loves me," Donna tilted her head to a side, pondering. "But she's the only person whose love I actually care about…"

Harvey rubbed his tired eyes.

"Who else is up there?" Donna changed the subject.

"Mike, Rachel…" Harvey paused, trying to picture the scene. "Louis was with them, but left. Mike said he needed time to process it all."

They remained silent for a few seconds.

Louis knew their secret too.

A goofy smile appeared on Harvey's face. He lowered his head, trying to conceal it, but failed badly.

Donna didn't have to look at him to know that his thoughts were amusing him. "What?"

"Nothing," He shrugged.

She gave him a questioning face that Harvey strived to avoid, but it was impossible. Donna knew him so well.

He tried to distract himself with the changing numbers of the elevator.

_30 floors left to go. _

But Harvey couldn't keep the thought to himself.

"I would've paid to see Louis' face," he smirked.

Donna looked away, hiding a shy smile. She had to admit it; Donna would have loved to see Louis' expression when he had learned that she had a kid with Harvey,

"Me too."

They went quiet again, this time with subtle smiles on their faces. The first ones after a long, dreadful day.

"He's been trying to score a date with you since the very beginning," Harvey broke the silence. "I scored a baby."

He tried to suppress a smile, knowing that Donna was going to kill him for saying it.

She turned to look at him slowly, her gaze shot daggers at him.

"I'm going to pass this one just because I know you're tired…and eager to see _her_."

Harvey didn't say anything. Donna was right; he was looking forward to see his little girl. He loved that child more than anything he earned in life. Harvey missed those little wonderful hugs, the delightful giggles, and the way she called him _daddy._

It didn't matter if Amanda was angry at him; he was going to pamper her with hugs, presents, and those merciless tickles he knew drove her crazy.

"You're going to be so emotional," Donna studied him. "And you're going to cry."

Harvey turned to look at her, "You'll cry first."

Donna agreed, "No doubt about it."

xoxo

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Harvey and Donna strode into the lobby towards his office. The firm was dim and quiet; only the sounds of their steps echoed in the empty hallway.

After the appalling events of the day, they were longing to hold Amanda in their arms, and never let go.

It was when they were close enough to see through the glass wall of Harvey's office that Donna stopped in her tracks.

She noticed Mike dozing off on one side of Harvey's leather couch. Rachel was resting on the opposite side, and Amanda was lying asleep between them. She had her head on Rachel's lap, while the rest of her body was curled up, hidden under what Donna guessed was Mike's jacket.

There she was, their _baby girl_.

Donna thought Harvey was right when he said that she was going to cry first. _Damn._ She was already brushing a tear away from her face.

Stupid emotions.

In that second, she felt Harvey's hand on the small of her back.

She knew he was attempting to comfort her.

That day, Harvey and Donna broke one of the first rules they had unconsciously set between them years ago: to avoid physical contact. They barely touched each other, and they had a good reason, but the absurd behavior was dismissed during the course of the day.

A single touch spoke more than a thousand words to them.

Harvey didn't have to ask to tell how Donna was feeling.

He knew it firsthand.

His eyes filled with affection at the sight of their little girl. And even when Mike and Rachel knew their secret, he was invaded by a sense of relief, because Amanda was alive.

Harvey gave a step forward with his hand unmoving on Donna's back, as if encouraging her to walk along with him.

And she did.

In silence, Donna resumed her pace along with him.

Mike lifted his gaze just in time to see them entering the office. He rose from his seat to receive them, and Rachel did the same; careful not to wake up the little girl.

The four adults exchanged the most awkward looks, before Harvey and Donna approached their sleepy daughter.

"She's fine," Mike told them.

The boy had a lot of questions, but was aware that he couldn't ask them in that moment. He and Rachel noticed how affected Harvey and Donna were by the incidents of the day.

Mike's call made Harvey reveal his whereabouts in Boston, and the tragedy of the event was something that couldn't be ignored.

"She's fine and awesome," Rachel gave Donna a comforting look.

Donna looked at her friend with shame in her eyes, sitting next to her daughter.

"It's okay Donna. You don't have to say anything." Rachel gave her a heartening smile, before looking at Mike. "We should be going..."

Mike assented, observing how Harvey hadn't said a word. The best closer in New York had his eyes fixed on the little girl sleeping on the couch.

It was the first time Mike saw his friend this way.

"It's okay, Harvey." He gave Harvey a friendly pat on the arm as he left. "You don't have to say anything." Mike teased him.

The pun pulled Harvey out of his thoughts. He immediately narrowed his eyes at Mike, "I wasn't planning to,"

"I know," Mike smiled softly. "See you on Monday, _Dad_."

"Mike," Harvey took a second to give Mike grateful stare that the boy acknowledged.

"Good night, Harvey," Rachel gave him a reassuring smile, as Mike placed his palm on her back, walking out of the office with her.

Quietly, Harvey went by Donna's side. They both observed their daughter sleep. His gaze softened at the view; his beautiful daughter was safe and sound.

Donna stroked the little girl's face with the back of her hand. Words couldn't tell how much she loved her little one.

"We should take her home," Harvey whispered.

Donna assented.

"It's a good idea," She looked up at him. "But _we_ don't have one."

It was true. They weren't a family, therefore they didn't have a home for her.

Harvey gave it a thought before speaking. "My place is bigger and…"

"…will impress her more than mine?" Donna lifted her eyebrows at him.

"Donna…" He tilted his head to a side.

"You want to make a great first impression? Don't show off," she suggested.

"It's not like we're in the best position, you know?" He whispered. "Besides, I've got Chunky Monkey."

That was it. The man knew how to persuade her.

Donna batted her eyelashes at him. "Sealed?"

Harvey smirked. "You know I only have that stuff with you."

"Alright," She smiled, pleased. "Your place." Donna looked again at her child. "She's so big." She tenderly caressed the little one's hair.

Amanda didn't even shift. She was fast asleep.

"She is," He stared at Donna, and she smiled at him.

Their gazes connected for a moment, sharing a sense of happiness they hadn't felt in a while.

"Should we wake her up or let her sleep?" Donna found herself suppressing a yawn.

"Well," Harvey simply bent over to carry Amanda in his arms. The little girl shifted in her sleep, but soon snuggled herself against Harvey's chest.

Harvey and Donna caught their breath. They weren't ready to greet her, at least not in that moment.

"She sleeps like a baby," Harvey mouthed.

"Like you, I guess," Donna picked up the backpack

"You guess…" He chuckled softly, as they walked towards the elevators.

xoxo

It was surely the most peculiar thing that had happened on Harvey's bed. It was Friday night, past midnight, and the things he did in bed during in those hours of the weekend weren't precisely these.

He was helping Donna, change their daughter into one of his old Harvard sweatshirts.

Harvey didn't know how Amanda managed to sleep so deeply, but it was a luck she did; they weren't sure how their little one was going to react when she opened her eyes. It worried them a bit.

"She's like a tiny drunken sailor," Donna whispered, as she pulled covers on top of her.

"Actually, she sleeps like you," Harvey teased. He had seen Donna sleeping a couple of times, and he was aware how soundly she could sleep.

"I've told you before, that how I sleep is none of your concern…" She tried to take him down.

But Harvey was ready to retort, "And I've told you before that…"

"Mom?"

Their stomachs twisted at the sound of that innocent voice.

Harvey and Donna turned their attentions to their little girl.

Her sleepy eyes opened for a split second, she mumbled something unintelligible and rolled onto her stomach to the middle of the bed.

The remained staring at her for a few seconds.

Until Harvey nodded, "See? Just like you."

Donna ignored his remark, tucking the bedcovers around her little girl, loving every second of it.

"You tuck in like a pro," Harvey spoke softly.

"I know, right?" She slipped off her shoes, kicking them away from the bed. "Want me to tuck you in too?"

Harvey smiled a little, he walked round the bed, to the side where he usually slept. "I know you're dying to, and if you switch the 'T' in 'tuck' for an 'F', I'll gladly…" He unbuttoned the top couple of buttons of his shirt.

"Talk to the hand, 'cause the face ain't listening," Donna rested her fatigued body next to Amanda, burying her head in a pillow. "I can't even think." She closed her eyes.

Exhausted, Harvey sat against the dark wooden headboard of the bed. The last 24 hours seemed to have been taken from a horror movie.

But it was all over.

His eyes travelled from his daughter sleeping next to him, to Donna's figure. His favorite red heads were all he needed in that moment.

"Are we going to sleep together?" He smiled, thinking it was so easy to tease Donna when she was tired.

"Don't get your hopes up too high." Donna mumbled, drifting off to sleep.

He laughed quietly.

* * *

_This time I promise to answer all your comments! Thanks for reading! Have a fab weekend :)_


	6. Harvey's Harvard Girls

_Yay! Finally a new update!_

* * *

**Chapter VI**

Harvey's Harvard Girls

Manhattan's morning sun streamed through the large glass walls. Its brightness made Harvey bury his face in the pillow, trying to shut out the light.

All he wanted to do was sleep.

The distant sound of a running shower stirred his attention.

_He hadn't brought anyone to sleep last night, had he? _

His eyes flickered open, trying to remember the night before, but the little red head lying peacefully asleep by his side, made him recall everything in an instant.

Harvey's gaze softened.

Her daughter was sleeping next to him.

Amanda's gorgeous ginger hair was spread across the pillow; her delicate eyelashes settled softly on her cheeks, and her expression was free from worry.

It was the perfect way to wake up after the dreadful day, he and Donna had the day before.

Careful not to wake Amanda, Harvey sat up in bed looking for Donna, but she wasn't there anymore.

A tiny spark of panic flared in his chest.

_He hadn't abandoned him with the kid, right? _

She had to be the one in the shower. Harvey swung his legs out of the bed, and immediately went to the bathroom looking for her.

"Donna?" He pushed the door open, and found her brushing her hair in front of the mirror. She was wearing one of his Harvard sweatshirts, and a pair of sweat pants he was sure belonged to him too.

"You hoard these, don't you?" She pointed at the sweatshirt.

"Why? Want to start dressing like me?" Harvey flashed her his signature smile.

Donna left the brush on the sink's counter. "I had to put my dress in the washing machine." She studied him from head to toe. "I suggest you do the same, or you're going to start to stink."

Harvey looked down at himself.

He was still wearing his suits' pants and shirt, though he had lost the expensive tie and jacket somewhere along the madness of the day before.

"Me? Stink?" Harvey lifted an eyebrow. "I'm always flawless."

Donna rolled her eyes. She was going question that statement with pleasure.

"Mike?" A soft voice unexpectedly reached their ears. "Rachel?"

Harvey and Donna froze in shock.

Amanda was awake.

"I've got an idea," He whispered, carefully closing the bathroom's door. "Let's tell her that Mike and Rachel are her real parents."

Donna narrowed her eyes at him. "If I didn't know you, I'd say you're being serious."

Harvey stared at her without blinking.

"I can't believe you're afraid of a little girl," Donna folded her arms across her chest.

"Well, she's not _just_ a little girl. She's yours, mine…" Harvey pointed towards the door. "She's our gene pool. A cocktail of our blood runs in her veins."

"Oh right," Donna nodded in understanding. "That makes her a total psycho."

She went to open the bathroom's door, just as careful as Harvey had closed it, and slipped quietly out of the bathroom, followed by him.

They weren't sure what they were going to say, or how angry Amanda was going to be with them for not visiting her in a while, but it was time to face it.

They stepped into the bedroom, but the little girl wasn't in the bed anymore.

She was nowhere to be seen.

A light breeze slipped into the room, making Harvey and Donna notice that the glass doors of the terrace had been opened.

And just as they turned their attentions to the door, they saw their little girl standing outside, staring at the city's skyline. Her orange hair was being kissed by the soft morning sun, as she stepped closer to the glass pane to get a better look.

Harvey and Donna found the view absolutely lovely; it looked like a picture taken from a Hallmark Card.

They exchanged smiles. It was a relief to have her with them.

Amanda was in awe of the view.

She didn't know where she was, or how she got there, but leaving the concern aside, the little girl couldn't deny the place was beautiful and the view; amazing.

Slowly, she pressed her palms against the cool glass that surrounded the terrace.

She hadn't been there two seconds when she realized that it was a wall made of glass, just like the wall of her dad's office, and his desk.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Amanda knew that her dad loved glass.

She stepped back, wondering if the place belonged to mom and dad. Quickly, she turned around; ready to go to look for them, but the second she did, Amanda saw a man and a woman standing in the bedroom.

They were looking at her through the glass wall of the room.

The little girl recognized them. Amanda remembered her parents clearly, as if it had been yesterday the last time she saw them.

She walked slowly back into the bedroom, but then the irrational fear that, maybe, they didn't love her anymore took over her; halting her steps.

Soon her beautiful features twisted into a heartbreaking display of sadness.

"Mom?" she broke down in tears. "Daddy...?"

Harvey's heart shrunk with pain.

And without hesitation, Donna went to scoop up her daughter into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Mommy" Amanda sobbed quietly, hiding her face in the crook of her mom's neck.

Her reaction broke Donna's heart. She wasn't expecting it.

Harvey and Donna were anticipating an angry child, not a brokenhearted one.

"I'm sorry too," She breathed in her little one's hair, hugging her tightly.

Donna had missed her baby girl terribly. She was sorry about having to send her away; about causing her little one such a pain. It made her feel like the worst mom in the world.

The little girl burrowed in the safety of her mother's embrace.

Harvey observed them quietly.

People used to say that he was emotionally unavailable, but the truth was that only Donna and his kid were able to crack the emotional armor he had built up over the years to shield him from pain.

Amanda pulled away softly from her mom's embrace to look at Harvey.

"Daddy," She stretched her arms out to him.

The way his little girl called him _daddy_, made his heart melt in the most unexpected way. Harvey was sure that he didn't deserve someone as precious as her.

He took her from Donna's arms, embracing her straight away; pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"I missed you, Dad" She placed her arms around his neck, enfolding him in a hug.

He hugged her back. "I missed you too, Beautiful."

Harvey recognized in her a familiar perfume. It was Donna's shampoo; strawberry-something. He knew it was one of the things Donna sent every month to the boarding school so Amanda could have a happy life there.

"Looking the world through a pool of tears?" Donna teased him, with tears in the eyes.

"An ocean," Harvey admitted, as Donna got closer to brush a strand of hair from her daughter's face.

"Young lady," Harvey looked at Amanda, who pulled away from the hug to see him. "You've got a lot to explain."

Amanda tilted her head to a side, looking at him with the most charming eyes in the world. His daughter always managed to get him wrapped around her little finger.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I wanted to see you." She looked from Harvey to Donna. "I missed you and the school wouldn't let me visit you."

A knot of guilt twisted Harvey and Donna's hearts. It truly hadn't been the school; it had been them the ones who had given those instructions, choosing to visit her instead. Something they failed to do in a while.

"I didn't want you to forget me," Amanda sniffled.

"We would never forget you," Donna sat on the border of the bed, pulling her daughter from Harvey's arms, onto her lap.

"Never," Harvey assured her, crouching in front of them. "You are unforgettable."

Amanda blushed in the most adorable way, and Donna cuddled her tightly. "We've missed you so much."

Harvey smiled. Hell, he had missed her terribly.

"You were supposed to go on a school trip," Donna told her.

Not wanting to cause her daughter any distress, Donna omitted to mention the accident.

She didn't have to know.

"Yes, but I didn't get on the bus," A deep red blush appeared on the little girl's face. "I came to see you."

"We can _see_ that," Harvey tried to lighten the mood with a carefree tone of voice. "Hey! Look at you," He changed the subject. "You're both wearing my Harvard sweatshirts; Harvard girls." He realized that Donna and Amanda were wearing matching sweatshirts.

Amanda hadn't notice that Donna had changed her clothes the night before. She smiled when she noticed the matching sweatshirts.

"Just so you know," Donna told Harvey "They're called _sweetshirts_ when we're wearing them."

"_Sweetshirts_ are obviously cooler," Harvey followed the pun.

"Obviously," Donna nodded.

Harvey and Donna shared a smile of blissful happiness. Their daughter was alive, and they were all together again.

"I don't want to go to Harvard, I want to go to Yale," Amanda suddenly blurted out. "Yale School of Drama."

Donna rolled her eyes, and immediately carried her daughter out of the bedroom before she could say anything else, otherwise, she was going to drive Harvey nuts.

Amanda giggled on her way out.

"Yale? Are you kidding me?" Harvey followed them. "It's got to be Harvard, kid." His stomach grumbled, "…Donna, can you cook me breakfast?"

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed the update :)_

_Thanks so much for reading and/or commenting! ____Have a fab weekend, Suitors! _


	7. Anything Goes

_I want to thank you all for reading; __for the lovely comments, for your awesome support _and for sticking with me, even when my grammar can get to be a mess (If you're still with me, 'cause I know the last two chapters haven't been the best, lol.)_  
_

___This update holds the plot of the story together. I hope you like it!_

* * *

**Chapter VII**

Anything Goes

Harvey cracked several eggs into a hot pan, as Donna turned off the coffee maker, and poured orange juice into a glass at the same time.

They were in perfect sync, as if they were used to make breakfast for three.

Sitting on a stool at the kitchenette's counter, Amanda nervously twiddled her hair, explaining her journey. She knew her parents weren't going to be happy about the way she sneaked out of school.

"A bus took me to Penn Station, and the subway to Midtown Manhattan." She answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world for a kid her age to travel alone.

Donna placed a glass of juice in front of her daughter. "I see…piece of cake, right?" She went to serve the coffees.

Amanda noted the connotation in her mom's words, "I knew you'd get angry." The little girl unsuccessfully tried to hide her face behind the glass of juice, right after Harvey turned to look at her.

She was awaiting a reprimand.

Donna caught a glimpse of Harvey's expression, as she turned her attention to the coffee maker. She knew he wasn't angry, but taken aback about their secret going out. Harvey would have never expected that their kid would go to look for them at the firm.

"What you did was very dangerous." He scrapped the scrambled eggs out of the pan into a bowl, and placed it on the counter, sitting in front of his daughter.

Amanda avoided Harvey's gaze, looking intently at her glass of juice.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled.

"We know you are," Harvey could see part of himself in his daughter; he would've done exactly the same thing if he'd been in her place.

"Wait a second," Donna stood by Harvey's side, holding two cups of coffee. "How did you know where to find us?"

"I took my file from the school archive. It said you worked at Pearson Hardman…" Amanda frowned a little confused. "Why isn't it called Specter Paulsen?"

Harvey and Donna inevitably exchanged looks.

Their daughter could easily replace Harvey's private investigator.

"You stole a file from the school archive?" Donna placed a cup in front of Harvey, and sat next to him.

"It's not stealing, if it's mine…" Amanda chewed her lower lip. She was in so much trouble. "Right?"

Harvey and Donna stared at their kid, stunned. Their little girl was _the man_.

"Promise us something," Donna took one of Amanda's hands, giving it a soft squeeze. "Promise us that you'll never do this again. Never, ever…"

The little girl nodded softly, noticing the concern in her mom's eyes. "I promise."

Anyway, Amanda didn't really want to make such a long, scary trip again.

"Alright," Harvey winked an eye at her. What was done, was done. "Finish your breakfast."

He took a sip from his coffee. The taste was a relief. Donna always managed to make it the way he liked it. Not too dark, not too sweet...

"So," Amanda looked around her with interest. "Is this _our_ home?"

Harvey and Donna looked at her with puzzled expressions.

"Did you decorate it, Mom?" She swung her legs happily.

Her words hit them. It made them realize that Amanda assumed they were a couple. They never told her that they weren't together. It was a subject that didn't matter when she was a baby.

"Yes," Harvey replied on a whim. "Like it?"

Donna turned her head to look at him completely perplexed.

"Yes!" Amanda smiled. "It's really high; it's like living in the sky."

"Your dad likes to be high." A sarcastic smiled spread on Donna's face.

All of a sudden, Harvey was the one staring at her.

Amanda hopped off her seat to look around the place with curiosity. "Where are your wedding pictures?"

Harvey and Donna felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of freezing cold water on them.

Their daughter thought they were married.

"They got lost," He lied. Harvey didn't want to see his child disappointed in Donna and him. They had already done enough by keeping her from their lives. "We lost the cameras…during the honeymoon." But no matter how sincere he thought it would sound, it just sunk him and Donna into a shameful lie.

Donna's gaze burned him.

"Oh, no..." Amanda made a little sad pout, and continued exploring the large room until she turned around. "You can always take new ones!" A sparkle of happiness appeared in her eyes. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the left," Harvey tapped his fingers on the counter. He knew Donna was going to speak up in three…two…one…

"During the honeymoon?" Donna waited until Amanda left the room to speak. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Her expression was filled with disbelief.

"Do you want to explain her our situation?" Harvey shrugged. "I don't feel like disappointing her, do you?"

Donna raised her eyebrows questioningly. "So what, are we going to lie?

"We've sucked as parents. At this point, _anything goes_ to make her childhood...nicer," Harvey ate a spoonful of scrambled eggs from the bowl. "I'm such an excellent cooker…" He savored it with pleasure.

"Anything goes?" Donna's eyes opened wide, "That's it, you've lost it. I knew this day would come."

"Listen; she'll go back to school soon," Harvey lowered his voice. "Meanwhile, let's make her have a great time with us. I want her to be a happy kid; I'm sure you want the same."

Donna gave it a thought, one thing was for sure: they hadn't been the best parents in the world. _Hell. They truly sucked._ Her daughter deserved to have a place she could call home, and a stable family like any other kid. Childhood memories were so precious to every child.

"If this is going to be _our_ condo, I'm going to have to go to my apartment to pick up some stuff." She rested her hands on her hips, letting out a sigh.

"Great," Harvey smiled.

They were going to pretend to be married for their kid.

It was a plan.

"Wait," He whispered fast. Amanda's soft steps were approaching."You can't leave me alone with her."

"You have another apartment?" The little girl walked towards them, looking confused. She had overheard part of Donna's comment.

"Yeah," Harvey acted his best. "We have properties all over Manhattan. Your mom likes to leave her things scattered all over the city."

He went to pull his little girl into a hug, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Amanda giggled.

"Good," Donna looked pointedly at him. "This means you two will spend the rest of the morning together _alone_, while I go to gather my _scattered_ stuff." She put special emphasis on those words.

"Donna..." Harvey sent her a warning look. _As long as she wouldn't take all day…_

"I'll be back in a couple of hours, Harvey." She gave him a sassy smile as she walked across the apartment. "I'm taking Ray with me."

"Who's Ray? Is he my baby brother?" Amanda inquired with excitement.

Harvey and Donna looked at their child.

All of a sudden they realized that their lives were going to give an interest twist.

* * *

_And now the story gets a little more complicated. ;)_

_Thanks again for your support! I love reading your responses; I appreciate each one of them._

_Hope you enjoyed the update!_


	8. A Fort around the Heart

_Sorry about the delay, I've been sick all weekend; fever comes and goes. Luckily, I was able to finish "correcting" this one tonight. :)_

_Hope you enjoy it! _

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

A Pillow Fort around the Heart

Donna didn't take long, not with Ray driving her back and forth to Harvey's building.

She pondered the situation during the trip back to his place.

She didn't want to lie to their child, but at the same time she didn't want to make her kid miserable.

Harvey had a point.

They could make their little girl happy for the time she would be staying with them. Their daughter's wellbeing was priceless, and the truth was that they hadn't been the best parents in the world. Their attentions had been focused on the firm's merger; their casual affairs with Scottie and Stephen, and keeping Mike's secret from the world.

Donna let out a sigh.

Pretending to be happily married wasn't going to be easy, considering that at some point they were going to have to feign a divorce, or confess the awful truth.

She began to twist the ring on her finger with anxiety. Harvey got them into a mess that was going to end up bad anyway.

It was absurd he'd take that path, considering he was the best closer in Manhattan.

She dropped her head back, thinking –and wishing, he had a trick up his sleeve.

The car stopped outside Harvey's building.

"Thanks, Ray." Donna hopped out of it, as the chauffeur went to retrieve her carry-on bags from the trunk.

"They're heavy," Ray handed her the baggage.

Donna lifted an eyebrow at him, "Are you trying to imply something?"

"No. Not at all, Donna" Ray chuckled, stepping back before she could pitch one of her sharp remarks. "Have a nice day." The chauffeur went back to the car.

Donna flipped her hair to a side as she walked inside the building, and into Harvey's private elevator.

Her baggage wasn't that heavy. She was only taking her most indispensable belongings. A few dresses, beauty goods, her books, her entire collection of handbags and shoes…

Donna smiled a bit. _Alright, maybe it was a little heavy._

She waited in the elevator until she was taken atop the world, to Harvey's condo. Donna stepped into the apartment lost in thought, until a mess of pillows and blankets piled up on a couch just in front of the elevator, pulled her back to reality.

"What the…" For a second she thought she was in the wrong condo.

Suddenly, she realized what was going on.

Harvey and Amanda had built a pillow fort.

"A Paleface has invaded our territory," She heard Harvey's voice behind the wall of pillows.

Donna left her carry-on bags on a side, smiling. She folded her arms across her chest. "Don't you even dare, Harvey."

Amanda's giggles filled the air.

"We should capture the Paleface," Harvey's voice was loud enough for Donna to hear.

He was teasing her.

She rolled her eyes trying to suppress a smile. Donna couldn't deny it was fun to see him this way, behaving like a kid; completely relaxed and out of the _best closer_ character.

Out of the blue, a tight ball made of socks flew through the air, hitting her on the head.

"Harvey!"

Donna tried to avoid the next one, but failed.

Amanda's muffled giggles filled the room again.

Quickly, Donna went to hide behind the closest couch. "You're going to regret this."

"It wasn't me," Amanda poked her head out of the fort. "It was Dad!"

"Oh, I know it was Dad." Donna remained hidden behind the couch. "He pitches like a baby."

Amanda burst into giggles.

After a short silence, the little girl spoke again.

"Dad said he is going out to hunt you, and that you're going to regret your words."

It didn't take Donna more than five seconds to realize what her daughter had said, but it was too late.

Harvey was after her.

It was ridiculous how silly fun it all was.

She tried to peek out from behind the couch, to see if Harvey was there, but he was nowhere to be seen.

That's when she felt him though.

She felt his breath on her hair.

His perfume gave him away.

Harvey was right behind her.

On the spur of the moment, she shoved her elbow into his stomach.

"Ow!" He fell backwards onto the floor.

Donna turned around just in time to see his head hitting the ground. Harvey sprawled himself inelegantly on the carpet.

She chuckled, "You think you'd catch me that easy?"

Harvey remained lying on the floor. His eyes were closed, and his face showed no expression.

"Harvey?" Donna poked him in the side, where she knew he was extremely ticklish, but he didn't move.

Amanda approached them, "You knocked him out."

"Come on, Harvey." Donna frowned, moving closer to touch his face. "It's not funny." Uneasy, she bent over him to check his breathing.

All of a sudden, he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

It was a trap.

"I know you're not easy to catch, but I do know how to..." He had a triumphant smile plastered on his face.

Donna brushed his arms away, trying not to smile. "That wasn't funny!"

_She was mad, or pretending to be mad._ "I thought you got hurt!"

"We should tie her up, don't you think?" Harvey went to high-five Amanda. Father and daughter shared the triumphant hand slap with delight.

"You wish," Donna flipped her hair to a side, walking provocatively past him to grab her carry-ons. "We're going out."

Harvey frowned, going out wasn't exactly on his agenda. "What?"

"Amanda can't spend the rest of the weekend in that Harvard sweatshirt," Donna pointed out. "Plus, we need groceries."

"Sorry, I'm not in." Harvey began to walk away.

He was running away, and Donna noticed.

She followed him.

"Excuse me?" She whispered, when they arrived to his bedroom.

"I'm not that kind of…dad." He tried not to sound like a jerk, although, it was too late for that.

Donna stared him down.

"I'm not asking you," She spoke on his face. "You're going to come with us, because that little girl out there adores you, and you adore her too. So get over yourself."

Harvey remained silent. The only thing they could hear was Amanda. The little girl was unzipping Donna's baggage in the living room.

"I have a reputation to uphold." Harvey tried to explain himself, but his words made him stand like an asshole. "You know how it is…I just can't stroll all over the city with a kid no one knows we have. What am I supposed to say?"

"Oh right," Donna shook her head in incredulity. "You still don't want anyone to know you had a kid with your assistant." She nodded, pressing her lips together as if that could prevent her from showing how hurt she felt.

Donna spun around to walk out of the bedroom.

"Donna, don't put it that way," Harvey took her by the arm to stop her from leaving. He couldn't let her believe that.

"You know, that's not how I see it."

Donna looked taken aback. She wasn't expecting him to grab her arm to stop her from walking off.

"I don't regret for a single moment, having a kid with you." He assured her.

Donna stared at him stunned. It was like the time when Harvey told her that he needed her.

"Then prove it." She challenged him.

Harvey was still hesitant about the idea of going out with them. He couldn't stop thinking about the firm, his clients, and acquaintances. "Donna..."

"Fine," Donna swallowed hard before leaving. "Keep living this self-important life of yours. I'm going out with _our_ daughter, who by the way; is lucky to be alive."

Her words hit him.

Whatever Donna had to say was always significant to him.

xox

Ray opened the back door of the car as soon as he saw Donna approaching. He immediately noticed she was accompanied by a little girl who resembled her.

"Who do we have here?" Ray invited Amanda to hop into the car. "Little Miss Specter, I guess?"

Donna and Ray exchanged glances of acknowledgement.

Even though the chauffeur hadn't asked a single question in the years he'd worked for Harvey, Ray knew the little girl was Harvey and Donna's daughter. He had seen her a few times; whenever he drove Harvey, Donna, or both of them to visit their child at the boarding school in Boston.

The three-hour trips with them were unforgettable.

Donna and Amanda slipped into the back seat of the Lexus, Ray closed the door, and got into the driver's seat, ready to receive directions.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Saks Fifth Avenue," Donna gave a quick look at Harvey's building as the car started. He hadn't even followed her to try mending things with her.

_Not that she was expecting him to do it…_

"We're going shopping." She added.

"That's great," Ray turned on the CD player, and soon the air was filled with a bubbly saxophone melody.

Amanda rested her head on Donna's arm. She loved the idea of going out with her mom, listening to the music she knew her dad cherished: Grandpa's music.

Amanda had listened to it since she was a baby, and was aware how much it meant to Harvey.

Donna pulled her daughter into a hug.

She loved her kid, and was willing to face the gossip and rumors that would surface because of Amanda's arrival. If Harvey didn't want people to relate him to their daughter, then she would deal with it all alone.

Although, first, he would have to face her wrath.

"Why isn't Dad coming with us?" Amanda looked at her in a way that reminded her of him.

Donna paused before responding.

"He's just not that into shopping." She lied. "He's a guy, you know? It's going to be just you and I. Girls' day. Cool, huh?"

A big smile spread on Amanda's face. It was the first time ever she would go out with her mom, and she was already loving it. "Yes!"

xox

Donna spent the morning in Midtown shopping dresses, shoes, and coats for Amanda.

They strolled down Fifth Avenue with their arms full of shopping bags.

It made Donna so happy to finally be able to dress her kid the way any mom did, and to be able to spend time with her.

"We should get Dad something too," Amanda pointed out.

"Yeah," Donna frowned. "Let's get him a chili hot dog from the cart on the street corner." _And Maybe she could smash it against his face…_

Amanda wrinkled her nose in disapproval. "A hot dog isn't a gift, Mommy."

"Yeah, right. Hungry?" Donna tried to change the subject. "Why don't we leave these bags with Ray, and walk to a restaurant? Good?"

"Good!" Amanda hopped on the street. "I wish Dad could come..."

Donna took a deep breathe. There was no doubt that Amanda was Harvey's number one fan. It worried her though. Harvey's attitude could break the little girl's heart.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called Donna's attention. "Look at you, you look beautiful."

Donna's heart skipped a beat when she recognized the British accent.

She turned around softly to face the man who called her.

But it wasn't the person Donna thought she would see.

Harvey was leaning against the shiny black Lexus they had arrived in.

He had teased her with the accent, and he knew.

"Dad!" Amanda sprinted towards him.

Harvey swept her up in his arms, planting a kiss on her face.

Donna approached them slowly. An inevitable smile spread across her face.

"We were talking about you!" Amanda told him.

"Really?" Harvey raised an eyebrow. "And what were you talking about?"

He looked at Donna, and with a smirk she acknowledged the effort he had made to join them.

He was proving himself to her.

"We were saying that we missed you," Amanda wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You missed me?" Harvey questioned Donna with those ridiculous puppy-dog eyes Mike managed to put too.

He was teasing her again.

Donna shook her head smiling, as Ray approached her to help with the shopping bags. The chauffeur put all the bags in the trunk of the car.

"I guess I'm late for shopping," Harvey noticed the amount of bags.

"We're going to have lunch," Amanda explained. "Do you want to come with us?"

Harvey placed his daughter back on the pavement, "Depends on your mom…"

Harvey and Amanda looked expectantly at Donna.

"Can daddy come with us, Mom?" The little girl took Harvey's hand.

The little gesture touched him. Suddenly, Harvey didn't give a damn to be seen with his kid. It startled him though, how Amanda and Donna could knock down the fort around his heart. It turned into a pillow fort when it came to them.

"May I, _Red_?" Harvey put a very special stress on that last word.

Donna stared at him without blinking.

The first time he called her _Red_, they were about to get engaged in a very intimate activity that resulted in a baby.

Harvey winked an eye at her.

He got her.

Harvey was right; he knew how to get her.

"Sure, _Bagel_." Donna gave him an impish smile. If he wanted to play, they were going to play. "Let's eat."

They began to walk down the street.

"What's on the menu?" Harvey continued the innuendo.

"Depends on what you're craving." She raised an eyebrow seductively.

"Hot, spicy ginger…" Harvey stopped walking, and so did Donna.

They shared the most mischievous gaze, completely oblivious that their daughter had stopped walking with them.

Hell, they were falling so easily, and it was undeniably fun.

It took them a couple of seconds to realize that their kid was staring at them a few steps away.

Amanda had a deep blush on her face.

She rubbed her button nose to cover her embarrassment, and walked past them with a_ 'get a room'_ expression.

Awkwardly, Harvey buried his hands in the pockets of his pants. "So...Burgers?"

"Yep," Donna nodded sheepishly.

They followed their kid, who had suddenly decided to step into Build-A-Bear Workshop.

* * *

_I have a soft spot for Build-A-Bear. lol_

_Thanks again for reading; for your comments, and your support. I feel like I repeat myself a lot, but I really mean it. Thank you!_

_Now off to bed, time to hug my bottle of advil. _

_Have an awesome SUITS day! (and no matter what, **keep shipping!**)_


	9. The Dessert

_Sorry about the delay, but after watching Harvey and Donna's Other Time (I'm still not over about how perfect it was), I had to make a few changes in the story to fit it with canon. ;)_

_Thank you so, so much for sticking with me, and thank you for the lovely reviews._

_Hope you enjoy this one!_

* * *

**Chapter IX**

The Dessert

They had lunch at the 1950's diner-style place Harvey and Donna visited during their years at the DA's office. It was small, intimate and the best part; it was _their_ place. It was a good thing their kid agreed to burgers and fries too, since Harvey wanted to avoid the exclusive restaurants. He still was a little concerned about running into someone they knew.

How to explain that he, Harvey Specter, had a child with his secretary, and decided to keep it a secret?

He was going to look like an asshole.

_A real one._

Harvey picked up a few fries from his plate, and dipped them in honey mustard before popping them all into his mouth. Immediately, his fingers swiped more.

He was hungry.

Donna and Amanda exchanged amused glances; the little girl was almost giggling.

"What?" He looked puzzled from one to the other.

Amanda giggled.

"Harvey," Donna pointed to her lips. "You've got…"

"Lip gloss? Lipstick?" He smiled, already knowing what she was trying to tell him.

Amanda broke up in laugher.

Harvey had spots of honey mustard all over his mouth.

Donna simply reached up with a napkin, and gently wiped them off his face.

The moment between them felt comfortable, like whenever she adjusted his tie, or fixed the lapels of his suit jacket in the office.

Except that they weren't in the firm, but in _their_ dinner.

It felt different, and nice.

"Dad is a baby," Amanda hid her face behind a tall glass of milkshake, hugging a stuffed bunny that Harvey had bought in Build-A-Bear earlier that day.

Her words made Harvey and Donna break their gazes.

"I know, right?" Donna agreed, taking a sip from her glass of lemonade.

"Excuse me?" Harvey arched an eyebrow, pretending to be shocked. "I'm all grown up."

"Babies get food all over their faces when they eat," Amanda pointed out.

"Let's see," He swiped his finger into the frosting of the cake Amanda was eating, and touched her button nose with it. "Now you're a baby too."

"Dad!" Amanda laughed hard, taking a napkin to wipe the frosting off her face. "It doesn't count this way!"

Donna smiled to herself."Apparently, I'm the only grown-up here."

Harvey and Amanda stared at her.

And Donna could read them both as if they were one person.

"Don't you even dare to put any food on my face, or I promise you'll be sleeping out on the terrace tonight."

"I like to sleep under the stars," Amanda shrugged.

"Me too," Harvey shrugged as well.

In that moment, Donna realized that she was outnumbered. Harvey and Amanda were like partners in crime.

Donna wrinkled her lips together, trying to avoid a smile.

_Like father; like daughter. _

She took another sip of lemonade.

And with a winning smile on his face, Harvey did the same.

The little girl looked at her mom and dad with enthusiasm; it was time to pop the question.

Amanda swung her legs happily under the table.

"Can you make a baby?" She blurted out.

Donna choked on her drink, and Harvey coughed it back into the glass to avoid choking on it.

"What?" Donna took a napkin to her lips.

"Can we have a baby? Please?" Amanda begged.

The sound of Harvey's phone interrupted the moment.

"Saved by the bell," He sang, pulling out the mobile from his pocket.

After checking the screen, he stood from the table. "I'm taking this one. Be right back in a minute, ladies."

He walked out of the diner.

"Jessica," He smiled, looking around the street. "How are you?"

"You tell me," Jessica sounded upset. "You've got a lot to explain, Harvey."

"If it's about the Berkeley negotiations, I had to reschedule," He assured her. "We'll get that account. No big deal"

"Big deal," Jessica replied. "What the hell were you doing at the General Hospital in Boston?"

Harvey paused. _How the hell did she know?_

"You were on the news, along with Donna. The partners think you wanted to get a g*ddamn deal out of that accident. Do you know what this could make to the firm?"

"Look Jessica, it's not what you're thinking." He began to pace. "I had a good reason."

"It better be a good one, Harvey, because we're eager to know."

Harvey stopped pacing. He was ready to tell Jessica the reason why he flew to Boston. It was time to do it. "I'll be in your office with _my reason_ on Monday, first time in the morning."

He hung up.

Harvey couldn't put a stop to it. Mike, Rachel and even Louis knew it. His daughter was no longer a secret, and it actually felt good. It lifted a weight of guilt from him.

His little girl didn't deserve it.

"Harvey," A familiar, feminine voice called him from behind.

_Damn it. _

He shrunk back in surprise.

Harvey turned around to flash his signature smile. "Scottie"

There were times when he loathed his guts; they were always right. Harvey knew there was a chance that he would run into someone. It was Manhattan; the city was a small world.

"Promenading?" She approached him with curiosity, knowing well that Harvey didn't like to walk.

"Lunch," He nodded towards the diner.

"In a diner?" Scottie became fully interested. "That' so un-Harvey of you." She smiled.

Harvey shrugged, feeling completely awkward. Donna and the daughter he never told Scottie he had, were in the restaurant, and he was outside; chatting with his former lover.

"Planning to stay in New York?" Harvey tried to look suave, even though he was beginning to feel like a boy who had been caught misbehaving.

"At the moment, yes" She approached him in a seductive manner.

"Good," He stepped back. "Enjoy the city. I recommend the hot dog cart across the firm."

Harvey hurried off.

"Harvey, I want to talk to you." She followed him, and Harvey stopped walking before Scottie could follow him into the diner.

"Look Scottie," He tried to cut off the conversation. "We can…"

"Dad," Amanda walked out of the diner with her stuffed bunny in the arm. "We're putting your fries to go. Mom says she forgot to get me PJs."

Harvey felt as if someone had dropped an anvil on him.

Scottie stared dumbfounded at the little girl. Slowly, her eyes moved from Amanda to Harvey.

It took him a moment to get out of the shock. Amanda had taken him by surprise.

"You have a daughter?" Scottie was completely baffled.

Harvey placed his hands on Amanda's shoulders. He had two choices: introduce his child, or run away…and running away was so damn tempting.

"Scottie, this is my daughter; Amanda."

There, he said it.

It was as difficult as ripping a Band-Aid off.

Scottie's eyes landed on the child again. "You never told me," It was obvious that she was upset, but was handling it with elegance. "I had no idea."

"Just like you, I've got hidden talents" Harvey simply stared at her.

Scottie knew that he was referring to her fiancé, the one she never told him about. She gave Amanda a soft smile. Harvey's daughter looked extremely familiar; the little girl reminded her of someone, but Scottie just couldn't place her.

"Well, we've got to go," Harvey attempted to finish the awkward gathering.

"Wait," Scottie stopped him. "We really need to talk; in private."

All of a sudden, Donna walked out of the dinner too, but as soon as she saw the gathering; she stopped in her tracks.

_Shit. _

She had no idea Scottie was there.

Three pair of eyes were on Donna, and she was sure that one of them was taken aback by her presence.

In an instant, Scottie grasped the reason why Harvey's daughter looked familiar.

It was evident that Donna was the mother of his kid.

"You know?" Harvey cleared his throat. He was beginning to feel the air around him extremely hot. "I've got a full week ahead. We can talk next week."

"Right," Scottie looked as if she had been stabbed in the back. "But you'll be the one calling me." She forced a smile before leaving.

Her gaze was shooting daggers.

Slowly, Donna approached him.

"Well, that was awkward." She adjusted her handbag over her shoulder.

"You tell me," Harvey observed Scottie in the distance. He could tell she was fuming.

"Here," Donna shoved a white paper bag against him. "Your fries."

Harvey looked perplexed at the bag. "Hey wait a second, where are we going?"

"Pajamas," Donna took Amanda's hand and started walking. "Your daughter needs pajamas."

"I'm not walking down 5th Avenue with a bag full of fries." Harvey remained standing in his place. "Donna!"

Suddenly, Harvey's life was giving a _360_ degree turn; the best closer in New York City was dismissing former lovers, and buying _jammies_.

xox

The penthouse felt different with Donna and Amanda. On Saturday nights, Harvey would usually go out for a scotch, poker, and maybe he would _close_ with a pretty girl. This time, he was in his condo, with his two favorite red-heads, and after spending a several hours with them; Harvey acknowledged that he wouldn't change them for any of those frivolous diversions. Although his priceless privacy had been invaded, Harvey recognized how nice it felt to be in the company of his best friend, and their little girl.

He stood by the glass wall of the terrace.

The night had fallen all over Manhattan.

Quietly, Harvey observed Donna in the kitchenette.

She was baking apple turnovers.

Donna was giving his kitchen a purpose.

Not far away from her was their kid. Amanda was fast asleep on a couch, with one of her arms curled around the stuffed bunny. She had fallen asleep as soon as they arrived home after a long shopping day.

The smooth jazz playing in the background put the finishing touch to the perfect picture.

Harvey went closer to the couch where his kid was sleeping.

"She's down," He spoke softly, taking a duvet cover from the arm of the sofa.

Donna lifted her eyes to look at Amanda.

"…like a little drunken sailor." She smiled, as Harvey tucked in their kid.

He stared at Amanda for a moment, thinking how lucky they were that she had arrived to them safe and sound. If she had gotten on the bus, things would've been appallingly different.

"Hey," Donna noticed the look on his face. "She's here now, and that's all that matters."

Harvey left his daughter's side to sit at the kitchenette's counter.

"I know." He watched Donna as she removed the desserts from the oven. "And I know you think pretending is wrong, I just don't want her to live what I lived. I want her to know that she has a functional family in us."

Donna tilted her head to a side, thinking as she placed the hot desserts onto a plate. They were far from being a functional family, or even a family, but they were surely trying. "She knows, Harvey."

The remained silent for a moment.

"Jessica called today," He added. "She saw us on the news the other day; walking into the hospital."

"Oh shoot!" Donna gave Harvey all her attention. "Those darn reporters…"

He assented, "She thinks I went to Boston to make the families of the victims sign with us. You know, in case they'd want to file a lawsuit."

Donna eyes landed on their kid. "Are you going to tell Jessica the real reason?"

"We're taking Amanda with us to the firm on Monday." Harvey assented.

Donna stared at him a little surprised.

Taking Amanda to the firm meant revealing the world that he had a kid with her, moreover, that he was willing to face the gossip and rumors to come.

Donna faked overwhelming surprise, "Are you going to parade all over the firm with your secret child?"

"_Our_ secret child," Harvey smiled to himself. He knew Donna would be happy with the choice he had made. "You're dying to see me doing it."

"Are you kidding? I'm going to Instagram it," Donna gave him a quick wink; placing the desserts she had been baking in front of him.

"Coffee?" She looked expectantly at him.

"Got a better idea," Harvey left his spot at the counter.

Donna saw him walking into the living room. A minute later, he returned with a bottle of Scotch in one hand, and two glasses in the other.

Harvey placed the glasses on the counter, and poured a bit of the fine whisky into them.

Donna smiled a bit.

It was their very first ritual, one they dismissed after deciding to go with the unmentionable one, which had to be inevitably substituted with the can opener. "Are we celebrating your decision of coming out as patriarch?"

"No," Harvey had a special gleam in his eyes.

"You aren't trying to hit on me, are you?"

"Why would I try to hit on you?" He leaned closer, "We've been married for the last seven years," He teased her, the way Donna once did.

"Harvey…" Donna smiled.

He lifted up his glass.

"To our kid," He gave her a special look that she responded with a soft smile.

"To our kid,"

Their glasses touched with a clink.

They took a sip of their drinks.

"You've got…" Gently, Harvey reached out to brush a little dab of flour off her face.

He caressed her face in a tender manner.

His touch felt warm, and perfect, but more than anything Donna recognized that it came from the heart.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, and there was no doubt that they connected in a way they hadn't done in a while. They knew how they were feeling; they knew what they wanted.

But Donna felt that it wasn't right; it would only ruin what they had.

"We shouldn't." She lowered her gaze.

"I don't even know what you're talking about," He lied.

An awkward silence followed.

Harvey pressed his lips together into a thin line. His expression tensed.

_It wasn't fair. _

_It still bothered him._

"You changed the rule for him," He reminded her.

"Don't Harvey," She stopped him. "Don't say something you'll regret."

"You already know what I'm going to say," Harvey took her arm with gentleness. "And it's not something I'll regret. You're just afraid to hear it."

Donna's heart began to beat frantically, as he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"I want my dessert with whipped cream." His breath tickled her skin.

They promised each other to put it out of their minds, and never mention it again. Yet, their daughter was the living proof and constant reminder of what happened between them that night years ago. Harvey mentioning the whipped cream was just the cherry on the top of it all.

Donna didn't want to respond to his appealing suggestion, but it was hard not to. It stunned her how he still managed to make her feel the same way she did years ago.

"It's too hot," She stared at him as he got even closer. "The whipped cream will melt."

"I've always liked it that way," He smiled a bit.

Amanda lifted her head, and peered at her parents with sleepy eyes. She saw them standing close enough to kiss. Happy to know how much they loved each other, she went back to sleep, snuggling up to her stuffed bunny, thinking that maybe; she would get a baby brother or sister before the next spring.

* * *

_Will they; won't they?_

_Thanks again for your patience and support, and thanks for reading!_

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Have a fab weekend!_


	10. Of Wedding Rings and Storks

_Sorry about the delay; work got on the way, and I ended up re-writing a couple of parts again._

_Hope you'll enjoy this one!_

* * *

**Chapter X**

Of Wedding Rings and Storks

They lay together in bed like any married couple would, still pretending to be husband and wife for the sake of their kid; even when the situation had become a little more complex.

"Impressed?" Donna whispered in the darkness.

A quiet pause followed her words.

"What do you think?" Harvey shifted in bed to look at her.

Donna was resting on her side; her beautiful eyes gleamed in the dimness of the bedroom. He remembered her this way from the first time they made love; her stunning red hair falling over the pillow while they talked sweet silly things only they would chat.

But the circumstance was different between them; it was almost painful for Harvey not being able to hold her the way he once did.

"You would've thoroughly enjoyed it with whipped cream." She nibbled her lower lip, trying to hold a smile.

"Oh, I enjoyed it." He smirked, "Who would have thought you could bake from scratch?"

Donna narrowed her eyes at him, moving her legs slightly under the covers to touch his ankles with her cold feet.

"Donna!" He moaned, moving his feet away from her.

Harvey was enjoying it all. He enjoyed sharing his life with Donna and their kid more than he could've ever imagined. Even though Donna had resisted all his advances that night; her rejection was something he expected, moreover, the scenario helped him to put the cards on the table.

It made Donna understand that he wanted her, and not just in a professional way.

"Shh!" She placed a finger on her lips. "She's going to wake up, and think we're doing _things_ in here."

"It would make it all more convincing," He gave her a smugly smile.

Donna touched him with her cold feet again.

"Stop it! She doesn't even know what is to do_ things_." Harvey fixed the pillow under his head. "Remember how I explained her that a stork dropped her at the firm?"

Donna stared at him without blinking, "She was four, Harvey. She asked us to make a baby; she knows how things work."

"She's growing up too fast," Harvey yawned.

"And she's going to figure out we're lying," Donna added. "If not now, later."

"She won't," Harvey assured her. "I've got a trick up my sleeve. I'm going to play my cards right this time."

"What are you talking about?" Donna was puzzled. "What are you planning to do?"

"I can't tell you," Harvey closed his eyes. "I don't want to jinx it."

She stared at him with suspicion, as he burrowed himself under the covers.

"Night, _Red_" He drifted off to sleep, knowing how well he had played his first card earlier that night.

A second later, Donna touched him with her feet again.

xox

Amanda opened her eyes to the bright sun that beamed through large windows of the bedroom. She woke up confused as to where she was; her eyes glanced warily around the spacious room until she remembered.

_Home!_

Her heart filled with happiness again. She kicked the comforter aside, recalling how she had fallen asleep on the couch the night before. Amanda was sure that Mom, and Dad brought her to sleep to the guestroom. She looked down at her clothes, noticing that she was wearing the pajamas they bought her day before.

The little girl smiled.

Quickly, her feet took her to the living room.

Everything was quiet.

She guessed her parents were asleep.

Amanda spotted the empty glasses and plates with leftovers on the kitchenette's counter as she walked across the large room looking for her parents' bedroom. She loved the place where they lived. It was spacious and luxurious, but felt cozy and warm at the same time.

It was nicer than she ever thought it would be.

The little girl moved silently through the apartment, thinking how her mom did a great job decorating it, although the fact that there weren't any family photos was something that ticked her mind.

It took Amanda just a few seconds to find her parents_'_ bedroom. Softly, she pushed the door open, and stepped into the room. Amanda saw their sleepy shapes in bed, and was going to approach them, when she caught a glimpse of a door standing on one side of the bedroom.

Her curiosity was piqued, and she ended up tiptoeing into Harvey's walk-in closet. The little girl found herself surrounded by an impressive collection of expensive dress shirts, suits, and shoes; all neatly placed in the exquisite wall-to-wall shelves.

It puzzled her though, that there were no dresses, high heels, or skirts.

The carry-on bags Donna had brought with her the day before were standing on one side.

Amanda frowned; something wasn't right.

After brushing a strand of her shiny orange hair behind an ear, she left the walk-in closet, and tiptoed over to her parents' bed.

She smiled at the view, quickly forgetting about the wardrobe.

Amanda noticed how Donna had pulled the covers off of Harvey, leaving him with nothing but a pillow under his head. Their feet were entwined, as if they had been playing footsie before falling asleep, but there was enough space between their bodies for her to snuggle. Carefully, the little girl managed to sneak into the bed, until she sat between her sleepy parents.

Harvey mumbled something incoherently, shifting a little in bed.

Amanda giggled, leaning over to kiss his forehead.

"Daddy?" She whispered.

He opened his eyes slightly, squinting at her. Harvey couldn't get enough of that word.

_Daddy_.

He smiled a little. "Donna, why are you kissing my forehead?"

Amanda laughed. "It's me!"

He pulled her into his arms, kissing her cheek. "You look really small this morning, Donna."

"I'm not Mommy!" Amanda giggled, as he began to tickle her.

Donna stirred under the bedcovers, completely aware that a tickle battle was about to begin by her side. Almost immediately, she flipped her eyes open in case they decided to make her the target.

"Hi Mom," Amanda grinned.

Harvey gave her a wide smile as well, "Hi Donna."

They were indeed going to make her the target of their battle, but Donna had opened her eyes just in time to prevent the surprise attack.

"Wait a second," Harvey looked at Amanda, pretending to be shocked. "You're not Donna!" He tickled his daughter again.

Amanda's laugher filled the room.

Donna smiled, snuggling against her pillow. Never in the world would she had imagined to wake up next to Harvey and their kid. It felt nice, and special.

She was beginning to think the pretense wasn't that bad.

"What time is it?" She buried a yawn in the pillow.

Harvey glimpsed at the alarm clock on his night table. "Almost nine,"

Donna let out a loud sigh. "Wake me up in an hour...or two."

"But it's Sunday!" Amanda hugged her mom. "Yesterday you said we would go to play baseball in Central Park."

Harvey began to pull the bed covers from Donna. "Yeah, Donna; go to Central Park, and give me my comforter back."

"You're coming too, Dad." Amanda looked at Harvey with an expression that reminded him of Donna; a very angry Donna. It amused him how much his daughter looked like her.

"I'll be right back." Amanda crawled out of the bed, and walked out of the room.

"She's tough," Donna closed her eyes, but fluttered them open when she felt Harvey trying to steal the comforter from her. "Stop pulling the covers!"

"Hey, they're mine!" He finally managed to pull the comforter away from her, snuggling himself in it.

"Wow, you're such a gentleman." Donna turned look at him.

"I'm cold!" He complained.

Donna nibbled her lower lip before speaking, "Actually, you're hot."

Harvey lifted an eyebrow at her, and she responded with the same expression.

"Are you hitting on me?" Harvey feigned disbelief.

Donna blushed, and it was the first time in years Harvey had seen her red-faced.

_Yes, she was hitting on him._

In that moment, Amanda returned with a baseball bat in her hands.

Harvey and Donna observed her uneasy, as if she could beat the shit out of them if they didn't take her to baseball.

The day before, Harvey had promised her to take her to the park; he was so thrilled with the idea that he got Amanda a new baseball bat, since the _DeMarini_ he once got her was at the boarding school.

The little girl dragged the bat into the bed. "You promised me, Dad."

Harvey was about to give into Amanda's wish when his phone buzzed on the night table. He grabbed it to find four text messages, all from Mike:

"_Hey daddy, I need u 2 check the Berkeley docs. Important."_

"_S.O.S. Berkeley not happy w/u rescheduling. Angry Jessica alert."_

"_Totally random but u should marry Donna. r u w/her right now?"_

"_Berkeley is going to O'Melveny & Myers. Not cool. Tell Donna 2 call his PA asap."_

Scottie had sent him a text too:

"_Do you have any other surprises? By any chance, are you married to her?"_

Her sarcasm was blatant.

Donna sat on the bed, resting against the headboard, and Amanda nestled against her; they were waiting for Harvey's answer.

"We can't go out today," Harvey sat on the border of the bed. "We've got to work on the Berkeley account, Donna." He explained, as he deleted Scottie's message.

Amanda lowered her eyes in disappointment.

She had forgotten that her parents were busy people, and she was sure her presence was getting in the way.

"How about," Donna noticed Amanda's disenchantment. "If we have a nice breakfast together? We can have hot dogs…" She caressed her daughter's hair.

"…and fries?" Harvey added, trying to get Amanda interested.

"All the fries you want." Donna nodded in approval.

Harvey and Donna were enjoying each other's company too much; it was something that couldn't be hidden.

They turned their attentions to Amanda.

"We'll go to play baseball next week," Harvey patted his daughter's hand.

"I won't be here next week, because you're going to send me back." Amanda avoided to look at him.

Harvey and Donna exchanged looks. They hadn't given a thought to when their daughter would return to school, but both of them were sure that they weren't ready to let her go yet. It disheartened them though, how their child made it sound as if she were a package that could be returned when needed; it wasn't the way they view it at all.

"Hey…" Harvey tried to make Amanda feel better. "The reason why we send you to that school is because we're horribly busy parents."

Amanda finally lifted her eyes to look from mom to dad. "You're not horrible."

"Oh, yes. We are." Donna agreed. "We work from eight in the morning, until very late at night; almost every day of the week."

"We would never be able to look after you the way they do in your school." Harvey agreed.

"I wouldn't care; I just want to be with you." The little girl begged.

Her words touched them, but also put them in a difficult position.

"I wish it could be that easy," Donna stared at Harvey, as if trying to find an answer to her wish.

Harvey knew Donna wanted their kid to live in Manhattan, but their lifestyles wouldn't allow them to raise a child in the city. The most difficult part would be exposing Amanda to the awful truth.

"Am I a mistake?" Amanda blurted out.

"What?" Donna looked in shock at her kid

"What are you talking about?" Harvey was as shocked as Donna.

"Some girls at school say all mistakes are sent to boarding schools, and nobody visits them." Amanda's eyes glistened with tears.

It was like a stab straight in the heart.

"Listen to me," Harvey was angry; to think some kids could be so heartless. "You're the second best thing that ever happened to us."

He looked into Amanda's eyes with sincerity.

Donna furrowed her brows. _The second best thing? If he dared to say that the Firm was the first best thing, she was going to beat the shit out of him with the baseball bat._

"What was the first best thing?" Amanda sniffled, as Harvey wiped her tears away.

"Meeting your mom," He looked at Donna. "Because if I hadn't met her; you wouldn't be here, right?"

Amanda smiled shyly, as Harvey and Donna shared a lingering gaze.

The feelings they held for each never went away, they had always been there; buried deep in their hearts, and all of a sudden, it became clear to both of them that they weren't going to be able to hold them back anymore.

"Can you at least have a baby?" Amanda cut short their intimate moment.

They looked at their kid.

"What's up with you wanting us to have a baby?" Donna tickled Amanda, managing to get a smile from her.

"Oh come on," Harvey tried to understand. "Why would you want to share us with someone else?"

"If you had one, it would have to come to school with me, and I won't feel lonely anymore." Amanda tried to explain. "You live together, you work together; you have each other, and all this…" She looked around her. "I'm alone."

Donna felt a knot of guilt growing inside her. She was sure that Harvey was feeling exactly the same. She embraced her child, and Amanda snuggled in that embrace.

"We love you, okay? You're not alone." Donna began to give the situation a thought. She didn't even look at Harvey for approval. "Maybe…maybe we could transfer you here; to a new school."

"Really?" Amanda's face lit up.

"We'll talk about it later," Harvey stared at Donna with an air of doubt. He didn't want his daughter to feel alone, but wasn't certain if moving her to the city was the best thing to do under the current circumstances.

"Can't wait!" The little girl smiled. "But I still want a brother, or a sister."

Donna held a smirk. Amanda was as stubborn as Harvey.

"We'll get you an iPhone instead, how about that?" Harvey moved his eyebrows up and down.

Amanda lifted an eyebrow at him, "You're trying to bribe me, and change the subject."

"Smart girl," Harvey pointed out. "You'd be a great lawyer."

"Maybe…" Amanda smiled.

"Or a fabulous legal secretary." Donna kissed her temple.

"I'll be both, if you have a baby…" Amanda got a little distracted, observing her mom's hands.

She had no wedding band.

Her eyes moved to see Harvey's hands as well. The little girl noticed that he wasn't wearing a wedding band either.

"Hey, why don't you write to the stork?" Harvey proposed, standing up from the bed.

"That's not how it works, Dad" Amanda shook her head in disapproval. She tried not to give much importance to the absence of wedding rings, even when it was gnawing away at the back of her mind.

"Really?" Harvey lifted his eyebrows. "How does it work?"

Donna smiled, shaking her head "Harvey…"

"I just want to know if she knows…" He shrugged.

"First, you've got to love someone; like…from here to the end of the universe." Amanda explained.

"Sounds reasonable," Harvey accepted.

"Absolutely," Donna nodded.

"The way you love mom," Amanda continued.

Harvey remained silent, and so did Donna. Amanda's words made their stomachs flip.

It was sweet to know she thought that way.

"And you have to kiss that someone." Amanda stated.

Harvey and Donna gasped; feigning utter shock. As if a kiss were the most scandalous thing in the world.

Amanda blushed and giggled, "You're being annoying…"

"So, just a true love's kiss?" Donna smiled at her daughter's innocence. She could tell Harvey was relieved Amanda didn't know the whole deal.

"Yes, you know..." Amanda gave them a soft nod.

Harvey smirked, "You know who two also meet the requirements?"

"Who?" Amanda was suddenly interested.

"Mike and Rachel," Donna read Harvey's thoughts.

"Oh yes!" Amanda was thrilled. "But they shouldn't be kissing because they aren't married…" It suddenly hit Amanda, that perhaps, her parents weren't married. She paused before continue speaking, "…and unmarried couples who have babies…well, you know what they say." The little girl began to feel deceived. "They burn in hell."

Amanda shrugged in the most natural way, and jumped off the bed. "Can I take a bubble bath in the big tub?"

She pointed at Harvey's bathroom.

"Yeah," Harvey and Donna replied uneasy at unison.

She walked out of the bedroom putting two and two together; thinking about the clothes in the walk-in closet, and the absence of wedding rings. The result of the addition was extremely interesting to Amanda.

"Burn in hell?" Harvey asked in a whisper.

"We're already steamy hot, Harvey." Donna pulled all the bedding over her. "Wake me up in an hour."

* * *

_I think Amanda is a little angry...also, Harvey is going to have to buy a bedding set especially for Donna._

**_Thanks a lot for reading! _**

_I'll try to post two updates next week._

_Have a great weekend! And never forget: WWHD? _


	11. Time to Love

_I'm really sorry this took so long for me to update; I decided to re-write part of the story (again), and outline a couple of new H/D stories as well. Now that everything is done, I'm going to be able to post more often._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter XI**

Time to Love

"We can't lose Berkeley," Harvey rubbed his temple, observing the files scattered on the coffee table.

He had been studying the contract clauses they were going to present to Berkeley all day long. Berkeley was one of the most important clients they had been attempting to land on the firm; the man had the reputation of being extremely difficult and demanding.

"We don't have the account," Donna placed a cup of coffee in front of him. "We can't lose what we don't have."

Harvey looked at her a little peeved.

"I'm being realistic." Donna shrugged her shoulders, and sat by his side on the sofa.

"He went to O'Melveny & Myers because we postponed the meeting." Harvey grabbed the cup.

"Because we thought our daughter was in an accident." Donna eyed Amanda.

The little girl was sitting on a carpet across the living room, drawing on a sketch pad. Amanda had a box of pastel oils by her side, a sheet of shiny stickers, and the stuffed bunny she had unexpectedly named _Louis,_ because it reminded her of her parents' friend; the weird guy she met at the firm along with Mike and Rachel.

Amanda was absorbed in her drawing.

"He is probing the top firms in the city, Harvey." Donna continued. "Berkeley isn't going to take a decision without meeting Harvey Specter first."

"It's a multimillion dollar deal; all we need to strengthen the balance sheet." Harvey leaned back in his seat. "We're going to be the top firm in the city if we win Berkeley."

"Ooh," Donna started to pile the files together, giving him a sassy smile. "I've always liked to be on top."

"Not really," Harvey looked at her, the corner of his lips twisted into a mischievous smile. "Not when I'm on top."

Donna didn't say anything, she simply grabbed a file and smacked him on the arm.

He stifled a laugh.

Amanda looked at her parents from her spot on the carpet, and smiled at their funny exchange.

"Donna! The documents!" Harvey chuckled, trying to shield himself with an arm.

"These are copies!" She smacked him again.

Amanda chewed her lower lip, and took an orange pastel to give the final touches to her drawing.

She refused to believe her parents weren't married.

_Maybe, they got their rings stolen too_ –she thought,_ or maybe they_ _don't like to wear their rings_.

She tried to get the idea out of her head. Amanda knew her parents were in love. She could see it in their eyes; in the way they looked at each other.

She stopped coloring to observe them again.

Harvey was laughing over something else he had said, and Donna had a light flush of pink on her face that grew redder, as she mercilessly smacked him with a file.

Papers were flying out of the folder everywhere.

They were having fun.

Amanda began to feel a little bad, thinking she had probably been angry over nothing. Marriage wasn't that important when they loved each other.

_Right?_

Thoughts began to run through her mind, recalling the carry-on bags in the closet.

_If they aren't married _–Amanda thought, _maybe they don't live together, or maybe they had an argument before I arrived; mom left, but now they are __back together..._

Amanda was so tempted to ask, but knew that doing it was a little risky because if they were acting to be together; they would have to tell the truth, and she didn't want to know the truth. Amanda wanted her family to be that way; always.

She decided that if they were pretending to be married, she would pretend along with them.

_No harm, no foul._

"Why are you looking at us that way?" Harvey pulled Amanda out of her thoughts.

"Maybe, she's up to something," Donna looked at her daughter, feigning suspicion.

"Me?" Amanda brought her hand to her chest. She felt heart beat faster; thinking her parents had read her mind.

They were so good at it.

"Do you think you can trick us with that face?" Harvey teased her.

Amanda tried hard not to smile; the way her parents' hair was all tousled because of the file smacking made them look funny. Her cheeks flushed; noticing they were just kidding her.

"Come here," Donna patted the sofa. "We want to see your drawing."

Amanda picked up her modest artwork, the sticker sheet she had been playing with, and went to sit with them.

"Are you done with your homework?" The little girl snuggled against Harvey, as Donna took the sketch pad.

"Almost done," He put an arm around his daughter. "It'll be done tomorrow at work…"

"Am I going to your office tomorrow?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, tomorrow, you're going to see how your mom and I work." Harvey tousled his daughter's hair with tenderness.

The little girl smiled. _Now they all had their hair all messy._

"Here, dad…" Amanda peeled a small sparkly butterfly off the sticker sheet, and stuck it on his hand. "This will give you luck at work."

Harvey smiled a bit; his daughter's support was priceless.

"This is beautiful, sweetie." Donna's attention had been captured by the drawing.

Amanda had drawn her family in colorful pastel hues. Donna was aware that kids expressed their feelings and thoughts in drawings, and the picture showed how much Amanda treasured her little family. She had drawn Harvey with a funny smile, dressed in his usual suit; Donna wearing one of her favorite designer dresses and carrying an expensive handbag on the shoulder; and herself in a pretty dress. There were music notes floating around them, which came from a charming turntable colored next to them.

The details made the drawing absolutely endearing.

"It's not that good…" Amanda commented softly.

"Are you kidding?" Harvey studied the drawing with fondness. "I'm going to ask my secretary to frame it."

"Because your secretary is so awesome at that," Donna agreed.

"Just like my _wife_," Harvey pointed at the tall red head in the drawing.

"Oh, your _wife_ is extraordinarily beautiful," Donna kept the silly exchange going.

"She is," Harvey looked at her with eyes filled with more than affection.

"But not as beautiful as your secretary." Donna closed the little conversation with words that carried a significant connotation.

Harvey immediately acknowledged the meaning. Donna was talking about his preference for her as an assistant or romantic interest, moreover; she was implying that he should value her more as a secretary, than a potential lover.

"I don't have to choose," He kept looking at her. "They're both equally mesmerizing."

Donna's mind was a turmoil of thoughts. She didn't know what she was doing by flirting with him, or making insinuations. All she knew was that Harvey was beginning to win the battle in her heart.

"Are you going to kiss her, or what?" Amanda was getting impatient. "Haven't you seen The Little Mermaid, Dad? You've got to kiss the girl…"

Harvey and Donna broke gazes to look at Amanda a little confused.

"Nevermind," The little girl went to pick up her bunny from the carpet. "Louis and I are going to bed."

Harvey wrinkled his face disgusted.

"Amanda…" He moaned. "Don't ever say that again."

Amanda laughed before sprinting across the room, disappearing through a door.

"I'll be there in a minute to tuck you in!" Donna shook her head, smiling.

Harvey took the drawing from Donna's hands. He quickly acknowledged that everything he needed in life was depicted in that picture.

"Look at this, Donna…" He spoke softly. "We're a family."

Donna remained silent. It wasn't the first time Harvey referred to them as a family, but it was the first time he said it with conviction, with no hesitation or pretense in mind.

"Remind me how we got here?" He said more to himself than to Donna.

"Do I have to remind you?" Donna chewed her lower lip. "It was because you couldn't keep it in your pants…"

"Excuse me?" He laughed surprised. Donna managed to push his romantic thoughts aside.

"You came to me that night," She recalled.

They had put that night out of their minds for so long; Donna knew it wasn't worth to pretend it didn't happen, not under the circumstances. It was difficult, though, it made her a little uneasy.

"And you let me come inside," Harvey smiled softly.

The ambiguity in his last remark was ridiculously witty.

Donna pressed her tongue against the side of her cheek, trying not to smile.

"Do you want to come inside again?" She looked at him with a mischievous spark in her eyes.

Harvey lifted his eyebrows a little surprised.

_She had to be kidding._

"I thought you didn't want to go there…" He moved closer to her.

"Oh, okay." Donna made herself comfortable on the sofa, curling her legs to a side. "Can you pass me the remote?"

Harvey opened his mouth, but words didn't come out. He suddenly knew she was teasing him_._

"You lost the remote?" Donna lifted her eyebrows.

She was relishing in her little tease, and Harvey noticed.

"I know you think you can get away with this, because that's how you are," Harvey moved his face closer to hers. "But this isn't over yet..."

His eyes travelled down her face until they reached her lips. He wanted to intimidate her a bit, and somehow it worked.

Donna felt a knot grew in her stomach. She knew Harvey was about to give her a warning.

"…and once it is," Harvey's semblance couldn't be more serious. "I'm not going to let you go. Not again."

He didn't have to explain what he meant, Donna knew.

"You look shocked." He observed her.

"I'm not." Donna replied defensively.

"Yes, you are" Harvey had her in the palm of his hand. "You know why it's that?"

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

Donna didn't even blink. _He was doing it again_.

"It's because you're into me," He whispered.

Harvey loved to do that; it was his way of shaking up her world for a few seconds.

In an unexpected move, Donna put her hands on his shoulders; not letting him go. She tilted her head softly to whisper in his ear too.

"And you're into me..." She said, before softly pulling away to look at him. "But..."

"But you don't get involved with men that you work with." Harvey finished the sentence for her. He struggled to say those words; he hated them. He loathed the g*ddamn rule.

"I don't want to lose what we have…" Donna corrected him, and her hands left him.

"We could have more," He brushed a strand of hair behind her shoulder.

It was hard for Harvey to say it; he wasn't ready yet, but he loved her. Donna was one of the reasons why he let Scottie go. His former lover pointed out how he depended on Donna more than on his own girlfriend. From a freaking lost button, to the most crucial decisions at work, he would always go to her first. Harvey never told Donna how when the time arrived, and he had to choose, he chose her before Scottie. He kept it to himself because that's who he was, and because he didn't want to put Donna in a difficult position.

Donna stared at him in shock; afraid of her own feelings. She always wanted to hear that from Harvey, yet now that he was saying it; it scared her. She loved him, there was no doubt in her heart about it. Still, she was struggling with her insecurities.

"Chunky monkey?" She asked, leaning to rest against him.

Harvey's features softened, as he placed an arm around her. "Yeah, I'd like that."

With that simple gesture, they both acknowledged their situation: all she needed from him was time, and that's all he needed from her too.

They were both aware that at some point, they would have to revisit the conversation, and perhaps it would have a different outcome then.

* * *

_Next update, we'll go Pearson Hardman (It'll forever be Pearson Hardman to me, lol)_

_Have an awesome weekend! Don't forget to keep your can openers close to the heart ;)_

_Thanks so much for reading!_


	12. Baby Daddy

_Surprise! Another chapter!_

_Thanks a lot for your sweet comments; I appreciate every single one of them. Knowing someone is out there reading this story gives me so much motivation. So again: thanks!_

_Hope you enjoy this one._

* * *

**Chapter XII**

Baby Daddy

Monday morning arrived with the hassle of a week filled with meetings, settlements, and depositions. Harvey and Donna were used to it, moreover; they mastered stressful schedules. However, even when it was the first time they would have to include a little girl in it, their main concern was introducing her to their world.

Harvey didn't want to keep Amanda a secret anymore, and Donna agreed with this, but she also knew an avalanche of gossiping and rumors was going land on them, as soon as everyone took notice they had a child together. The news were going to spread like wildfire; having a baby with the boss brought up rumors that unfolded like epidemics, and Donna's biggest fear was for Harvey. Careers could be harmed and killed by gossip, and she knew there were many people who wanted to bring him down.

"Relax," Harvey told her as the elevator moved up towards the 50th floor.

Donna gave him a look. She was truly worried about him.

The doors of the elevator opened with a ding. Harvey, Donna, and Amanda stepped into the hall of the firm. It was early in the morning, a good time to arrive to work since hardly anyone would be there, or that's what they thought...

The elevator in front of them suddenly opened too; Louis was standing inside. As soon as he noticed that Harvey and Donna were with the little girl he hoped had been a hallucination, Louis entered a state of shock.

"Hey Louis," Harvey tried to sound casual, although he was enjoying the moment too much. "I think you've met my kid."

Louis didn't move, he simply remained staring at Amanda as the elevator doors closed with him inside.

"He needs a day," Donna smirked.

Harvey was amused. He would take Amanda to Louis' office every day just to see his face.

"Come on, let's go see Jessica," He hurried them.

They walked to Jessica's office, knowing well she'd already be there. Donna and Amanda followed Harvey closely until he stopped, signaling them to wait outside, and out of Jessica's sight.

"Jessica!" He walked alone into her office with his usual glow of confidence.

Jessica was sitting on the sofa, reading a large tome. Her favorite tea set was sitting on a cart by her side.

Harvey could tell she was relaxed.

Softly, Jessica lifted her eyes from the book.

"Harvey," She closed the volume. "Good to see you alive. How was your getaway to Boston? Delightful?"

Harvey cocked an eyebrow, burying his hands in the pockets of his suit. "It wasn't a getaway; I went to Boston because of the accident."

"Of course," Jessica entwined the fingers of her hands, smiling. "So selfless of you…"

"My daughter was presumed to be in it," Harvey blurted out. "I had to be there."

"Naturally," Jessica assented softly. "You really need to work on your excuses, Harvey, because this one is g*ddamn lame."

"It's the truth," Harvey gave her one of his charming smiles. "Donna!"

Outside the office, Donna exchanged a mischievous smile with Amanda, before holding her hand.

"Come on," She whispered, taking her daughter into Jessica's office.

"Good Morning, Jessica." Donna and Amanda stood a few steps away from Harvey.

Jessica's eyes moved from Harvey to Donna, to finally focus on the littlest visitor.

"If this is some sort of prank…" Jessica couldn't stop looking at the kid.

"It's not a prank, Jessica." Harvey approached his daughter. "This is my daughter, Amanda."

Jessica observed Amanda for several seconds. The girl bore an uncanny resemblance to Harvey; the eyes, the two tiny moles above the eyebrow… Almost immediately, Jessica recognized Donna's soft features, and orange red hair on the little girl too.

Harvey's revelation hit Jessica like a truck; there was no doubt the child belonged to Harvey...and Donna.

She took a moment to deal with the news before speaking.

"I guess I don't have to ask who the mother is," She rose from her seat, looking at Harvey and Donna like two teenagers who had misbehaved under her supervision. "How old is she?"

"She'll be turning nine on the 31st," Harvey answered. "Halloween."

"Perfect date," Jessica smiled at Amanda. "Now I know why your mom asks for every Halloween off."

Amanda smiled, recalling how her mom used to make of her birthday a one-of-a-kind celebration; filled with Halloween treats, presents, and spooky stories by the fire. Suddenly, she noticed Jessica's exquisite tea set on the cart.

"A Minton!" She tugged on Donna's dress with excitement.

Harvey and Donna looked puzzled at their kid.

"How do you know it's a Minton?" Jessica asked, delighted.

"I just…I know everything," Amanda's eyes coudn't stop admiring the tea set; she loved tea sets. They reminded her of Mary Poppins ceiling tea party.

"Really?" Jessica caught a glimpse of Harvey's confidence in the little girl's eyes. "In that case, what am I thinking?"

She challenged her.

Jessica's question called Amanda's attention. The little girl hesitated for a second, knowing she was being tested, and just when Harvey was about to answer for her; Amanda spoke.

"I know that _you_ know what you're thinking," Amanda tilted her head to a side, thinking. "And that's all I need to know."

Jessica tried to conceal a smile, but it was impossible. Amanda was just like her parents. "Donna, why don't you introduce your kid to what we do?" Jessica walked round her desk. "I'd rather you doing it than Harvey."

"Hey," Harvey complained.

"You," Jessica looked at him with a stern expression. "We have to talk."

"And we've got to go," Donna knew it was time to leave. "I have to check out today's agenda."

Harvey gave her a wink; reassuring Donna that everything would be fine. Although Donna wasn't so sure.

Jessica waited until Donna and Amanda were gone, to speak.

"How could you hide something like this from me?" Jessica was indignant.

"You never asked," Harvey tried to be honest. "Besides, my personal life hasn't got anything to do with the firm."

"It has to do," Jessica placed her palms flat on the desk. "A lot."

"Would you have kept me as your associate if you knew I had a kid?" Harvey asked her.

"A kid with _your assistant_," Jessica emphasized in a whisper, as if the walls could listen.

"Don't get Donna in this," Harvey interrupted before Jessica could say something that would anger him.

"When you asked me to let you come with Donna to this firm, I knew it was because she meant something to you," Jessica began.

"Jessica…"

"Don't deny it because it's true," She continued. "But the fact that you've been hiding that kid from everyone isn't going to look good on you."

"I never hid her," Harvey tried to believe his own words. "I protected her, and gave her the best education... She had everything she needed."

"However, you omitted to mention her existence." Jessica highlighted.

"I care about my kid," Harvey knew what Jessica was trying to tell him.

"This is going to put your career at stake," Jessica pointed out. "Your reputation is going to be questioned, Harvey. There are people out there that are dying to put an end to your career," She looked at him with concern.

Harvey's mind was conflicted with thoughts.

"There's only one way to reduce the chance of a scandal," Jessica sat behind her desk.

She gave Harvey a particular stare, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

Jessica Pearson had spoken with her gaze.

xoxo

"What did she say?" Donna followed Harvey into his office, leaving Amanda sitting at her desk.

Harvey rubbed his eyes, trying to relieve the tension. "She's worried about this. That's all."

Donna pressed her lips together. She knew Harvey was omitting information.

"I had a kid with my assistant, and kept it a secret." Harvey explained. "We're scandal potential, and Jessica is worried about it."

"Right, because what we did is a total taboo," A playful spark appeared in Donna's eyes. "Almost sinful…"

"We're marked by sin," Harvey added, full of fun.

"It's kind of hot," Donna admitted.

"Very," Harvey lowered his voice. "It makes me want you even more."

Donna shook her head, smiling. She tilted her head to a side, getting serious. "What are we going to do, Harvey? Jessica is right."

"I've got a reputation to uphold, so there's only one way out." Harvey recalled Jessica's gaze.

Donna gave him an inquisitive stare.

"Mexico," He put on a serious face. "If a scandal strikes, get three tickets."

Donna rolled her eyes, "Harvey…"

"She's got to go back to Boston, Donna." Harvey looked into her eyes with guilt. He couldn't tell Donna what Jessica and him had discussed, yet. "How else can we keep her from the mess we've made?"

They turned their heads to look at their child through the glass wall. Amanda stamped her hand with Donna's date stamp. She studied the impression on her hand for a second, and all of a sudden she began to stamp excitedly all over her arm.

"She got that from you." Donna told him, trying to cheer herself up.

"Hey!" Mike stopped by Donna's desk to greet Amanda.

"We'll talk about it later," Harvey told Donna, placing his hand on the small of her back, trying to comfort her.

"Mike!" Amanda dropped the stamp on the desk, she was extremely happy to see him.

Harvey and Donna saw them high-five each other.

"Good morning, family!" Mike walked into the office sporting a big smile. "How are the Specters today?

"Don't, Mike. Just don't." Donna walked past him out of the office.

"Okay, no jokes. So serious; all the time," Mike stood by the large window, as Harvey went to sit behind his desk.

The boy remained staring at him with a smile stuck on his face.

"What?" Harvey sat comfortable in his seat.

"Look who had a secret personal life," Mike was delighted about it all. "You never mentioned that you and Donna…"

"Mike," Harvey gave him a warning look.

"You're a baby daddy," Mike teased him.

"Another word and I fire you," Harvey warned him. "Let's focus on Berkeley…"

"You know? It's great, because I always pictured you with a little Harvey specter; hair all gelled up, and in a pin-striped Oshkosh…" Mike continued. "Now, you happen to have a little Donna; orange red hair and all," He said, all eager. "Is it just her, or you guys have more kids?"

Harvey only remained staring at Mike. He looked like he was about to murder his associate.

"Mike," Donna's voice came over the intercom. "If you treasure your life, keep your mouth shut. You both have a meeting with Berkeley, and Jessica in two minutes. Conference room."

"Damn it," Harvey rose to his feet, hurrying to walk out of the office.

"You shouldn't swear, you know?" Mike followed him. "You don't want Amanda to learn _daddy_ has a colorful vocabulary…"

"Colorful is what you're going to see when my fist kisses your face," Harvey half joked.

"That's pretty aggressive, but I'm going to forgive you because you're a _baby daddy,_" Mike teased him again.

Harvey ignored Mike's comment as they walked past Donna's desk; it was hard not to look at the girls sitting behind it, when one looked like a small replica of the other.

He smiled.

"Good luck, daddy" Amanda smiled back. Donna's eyes were glued to her computer screen, but she smiled as well. She knew Harvey was glad to have them there despite everything.

Harvey continued walking along with Mike towards the conference room.

"_Daddy_," Mike repeated, with a smile plastered on his face.

Harvey pressed his lips together, irritated. Mike was going to be a real pain in the ass.

* * *

_Get ready for the "scandal" of the year, and a very sticky stituation...Coming soon!_

_Thanks so much for reading! Have a great weekend!_


	13. A Very Sticky Situation

_New update. Hope you like it!_

* * *

**Chapter XIII**

A Very Sticky Situation

Harvey and Mike arrived to the conference room minutes late for the meeting, after having to return to the office to gather the documents Harvey forgot on his desk.

Berkeley's private security guards were standing at the door. They were intimidatingly tall, broad shouldered; dark shades covered their eyes, and their suits were flawless. Berkeley was one of the wealthiest investors of the West Coast; the man was in New York with the only purpose to find a firm that would look after his legal affairs in the East Coast.

Jessica was already speaking with him when Harvey and Mike entered the conference room. Except for the expensive suit, and the stern look on his face, Harvey thought Berkeley resembled his father a little. His dad would've been the same age, if he had lived.

There were other seven people sitting at the table; Berkeley's people. All of them were quiet, listening to the conversation.

"Mr. Berkeley," Harvey held out his hand. The man took it, shaking it once.

Mike did the same.

"Is this the best closer in New York City?" Berkeley raised a doubtful eyebrow.

"The best," Jessica reassured him, as Harvey and Mike sat at the table. "I can assure you Harvey will run your deals in the most impeccable way."

"Really? Because he is…" Berkeley lifted his hand to look at his watch. "Four minutes, twenty seconds late to this meeting, and I don't like to wait. Is this how your _best_ closer works?"

"It's _National Be Late for Something Day_, Mr. Berkeley" Harvey smiled. "Isn't it marked in your calendar?"

Berkeley's eyes went from Harvey to Jessica.

He wasn't amused.

Jessica smiled, even when she wanted to give Harvey a mighty kick in the balls under the table.

"I've spent valuable minutes of my life visiting the best firms in the city, and none of them have the qualities I'm looking for. Apparently, no one can meet my expectations." Berkeley tapped his fingers on the table.

"That's because you didn't come here first," Harvey added in his usual conceited tone. "We're the best."

"They all said the same," Berkeley wasn't impressed.

"What are your expectations, Mr. Berkeley?" Mike asked, ready to present him with their business proposal.

Berkeley was about to respond, when his gaze suddenly focused on Harvey's suit, particularly, on the end of one of his sleeves.

"Well," The man's serious expression changed to one of surprise, and slight amusement. His gaze didn't move from the spot of the sleeve that had caught his attention.

"Mr. Specter," a gentle smile appeared on Berkeley's face. "You've got a…"

He pointed to his own sleeve.

All of a sudden, everyone at the table was looking at Harvey.

Jessica's eyes grew wider at the view.

A little disconcerted, Harvey examined his sleeve. There was a small sparkly butterfly sticker attached to the fabric of his expensive suit.

Mike couldn't help but smile; he was sure the sticker belonged to Amanda.

Uncomfortable, Harvey removed it from his suit.

"My daughter…" He tried to explain.

It was awkward; Harvey never had to explain himself over something so unusual.

"You have a daughter?" Berkeley asked, interested. "And you let her play next to a $12 000 suit?"

None of the lawyers at the table knew what to say. Jessica felt they had shown a lack of professionalism.

Berkeley rose from his seat, and so did his assistants.

"Anyone who puts his own kid over the value of things deserves my attention," He told Harvey. "Family is the most important social institution, and when it comes to business, I only trust family men."

Jessica's mouth fell open in surprise, and Harvey furrowed his brow, confused.

_Berkeley assumed he was a family man._

"Then, you can trust us to manage your affairs," A soft smile appeared on Harvey's face.

"Not so fast," Berkeley smiled, too. "Does your wife cook?" He asked, while walking towards the door, ready to leave.

Harvey looked at him perplexed.

"Of course she does," Jessica interrupted before Harvey could answer. "His wife makes the best homemade dinners."

Mike watched the scene entertained; grasping Jessica's intentions.

Harvey was dumfounded, he didn't anticipate that kind of response, but after the conversation he had with Jessica; he immediately recognized that she was pressuring him to use the situation to _their_ advantage, by killing to birds with one stone: land Berkeley in the firm, and diminish the impending scandal.

"Excellent!" Berkeley stretched out his hand to Harvey, "We'll discuss business over dinner. I'll be pleased to meet your family, Harvey." He shook hands with Harvey. "Is Thursday night good?"

Harvey opened his mouth to speak...

"Of course," Jessica answered for her protégé. "His wife will be delighted, right Harvey?"

Harvey tried hard to hold back a sarcastic expression, "Right."

"It's been a pleasure," The man gave Mike a nod, leaving the conference room along with Jessica, and his assistants.

"So," Mike slipped his hands into his pockets. "How's your wife doing?" He chuckled. "See? That's funny, because you don't have a wife."

Harvey glared daggers at Mike.

Seconds later, Jessica returned to the conference room.

"Do it already," She told Harvey. "Or are you willing to wait another ten years?"

She gave Mike a look, as if telling him something, before leaving both men standing in the most awkward atmosphere.

xoxo

Harvey stopped by Donna's desk on his way back to the office.

"Remember you once told me that we've been married for the last seven years?"

The sound of Donna's fingers typing on the keyboard stopped. Her eyes travelled from her computer screen, to Harvey.

He showed her the butterfly sticker on the tip of his finger.

"Are you proposing with a sticker?" Donna gave him a sassy smile. "Cute, but cheap."

"Where's Amanda?" Harvey's eyes scanned the area around them.

"She's with Norma," Donna nodded towards Louis' office.

"Okay, my office." He urged her. "Now."

Harvey strode into his office; Donna followed him with curiosity. "What is it?"

"This," He showed her the sticker again. "This sticker was on my suit, and it led Berkeley to believe that I'm a family man. He only trusts family men to handle his legal affairs, therefore; you'll have to pretend to be my wife this Thursday, when he comes to dinner something you've got to cook."

Donna furrowed her brows, pulling a face of confusion while processing Harvey's words.

Slowly, she folded her arms across her chest. "You told the man we were married?"

"Jessica did," Harvey sat behind his desk.

"Actually," Mike walked into the office carrying a bunch of binders. "Jessica said you were married, she didn't state to whom." He left the folders on Harvey's desk.

"Oh come on, it was obvious." Harvey complained.

Donna arched her eyebrows in a playful manner. "You want me to be your wife?"

"He does," Mike smiled. "He's desperate."

"It's just a one night pretense, okay?" Harvey added "Besides, it'll be easy considering we're living together."

"Whoa! Are you living together?" Mike's eyes popped out of his head..

"It's not what you're thinking," Donna interrupted. "We're spending time together with our daughter."

"Oh right," Mike nodded in understanding, "I forgot you had a kid together too." His face was filled with sarcasm.

"Mike, what the hell are you doing here?" Harvey began to lose his patience.

"I got the all files for the Wentworth case like you asked," Mike pointed to the desk.

"Let me get this straight," Donna interrupted. "You want me to pretend to be your wife, so your perfect fictional family will show Berkeley that you're a reliable liar, I mean; lawyer?" The corner of her lips twisted into a smile.

Harvey rubbed his eyes. Donna always knew how to tackle him, "It's a multi-million dollar agreement, Donna."

"Say it, Harvey." Donna moved closer to his desk, leaning over slightly.

Harvey stared at her for a second, before leaning over the desk too.

"I need you to help me," He said with sincerity.

Donna shook her head refusing his request. "Say the magic word."

Harvey rose from his seat, "Donna…"

"The _other_ magic word," Donna waited.

"Donna!" Harvey pursed his lips, annoyed.

"I guess you don't really need me…" She shrugged.

Mike tried hard not to chuckle.

Harvey finally took a deep breath, "_Please_, Donna."

Donna smiled to herself.

"Please what?" She played naive.

"Don't push it," He grabbed a heavy binder from his desk. "Here, entertain yourself." Donna took the folder completely diverted, and spun around to leave the office.

Slowly, Mike approached Harvey's desk, "Is it just me, or Jessica wants you to make it legal?"

Harvey's piercing gaze immediately told Mike to shut the fuck up.

Mike paused, looking from Harvey to the intercom. "Okay, got it."

xoxo

"You!" Rachel ambushed Donna in a cheerful manner, before she could sit at her desk.

"Who? Me?" Donna faked confusion.

"You told me that you never, ever crossed the line with him!" Rachel whispered stunned; leaning over the desk, as Donna sat on her chair. "You lied!"

"I didn't," Donna whispered too. "We were never, ever in a relationship."

"You have a daughter with him!" Rachel said in a soft voice, her face getting closer to Donna's.

"Look," Donna spoke very softly. "I know it's going to sound disappointing, but it was only one time. Just one time…"

"You crossed the line!" Rachel was incredibly excited. "You really did!"

"I didn't; we didn't." Donna looked around her. "We were never a _thing_."

"Donna!" Harvey's voice sounded across the office. "Who's there?"

Rachel moved her eyebrows up and down. She had been waiting for Donna to tell her the truth, since the very first moment she met Amanda.

Donna rolled her eyes, "Okay, alright. We crossed the line, fine?"

"Oh my god!" Rachel giggled. "You're going to have to tell me everything," She looked at Harvey's office with a playful expression. "Starting with the most important emotional question…"

Donna supressed a smiled.

"See you at lunch." Rachel winked an eye at her, and spun around to leave.

Donna shook her head, smiling. The most important emotional question was going to have a well-built, and generously proportioned answer.

"I'm going to take my kid to lunch with us!" Donna raised her voice. "So, be subtle!"

She saw Rachel laughing softly, and shaking her head as she walked away. It was a good thing to have her as friend.

* * *

_They're lying to their kid, they're lying to a potential client, and a scandal is about to hit. Will Harvey attempt to make his 'marriage' to Donna legal?_

_Thanks a lot for reading, and thanks for your comments! _

_Have an amazing weekend!_


End file.
